


Face from the past

by Heat_witch



Category: Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt/Comfort, Medical Experimentation, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Seizures, Temporary Amnesia, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Unethical Experimentation, Worried Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-27
Updated: 2018-05-19
Packaged: 2019-03-24 17:55:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 26,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13816416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heat_witch/pseuds/Heat_witch
Summary: Someone wants to hurt Peter. Someone who knows he is Queen’s local hero. Peter is sure he has seen that someone before. But where? Now Peter is gone and Tony will not rest until the kid is found. Maybe Bucky will redeem himself in the process.





	1. Special Cocktails

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This is my first fanfic after a while so I can be kind of rusty. Also English is not my native language so please excuse my inevitable mistakes. I will try to update as soon as my daily schedule allows. Enjoy!

Tony was carrying Peter back to the compound. The kid felt too light and looked malnourished and pale. Something wet was slowly covering his fingers, but he didn’t dare look. Peter was not responding for a while now and that made the situation so much more stressful. Tony knew that the kid was breathing, but until he was back on his feet, he wouldn’t rest. He would kill whoever did this to his kid. That was a promise. 

 

On Tuesday morning Peter calls Happy right before school. Happy was going through Tony’s day schedule. He sees the incoming call and answers kind of puzzled wondering what was so important that Peter had to call and report so early.  
“Morning kid. What’s up?”  
“Hi Happy”, Peter replies sounding a little anxious, but that did not strike as weird cause the kid always sounded like that. “Hey, I wanted to tell you something about last night but I am not sure if it’s worth reporting or not”.  
“What happened kid? Are you hurt or something? Should I inform my boss?”  
“No no no Happy everything is fine. Please, please don’t call Mr. Stark. It’s not important or anything. It’s just… I was, I was on patrol and I was helping a girl return safely to her house last night, when I saw this man looking at me.”  
“What’s wrong with that?” Peter begins to explain, but Happy interrupts again.  
“I mean its normal that he was looking kid you are the Spiderman from YouTube, dressed in a red suit.” Happy was losing his patience wandering why he picked up the phone in the first place. Peter could write that in a text message. Why call him so early in the morning for no reason?  
“No Happy I get that, yes. But I think something was off with the guy. When he… when he looked at me my spidey sense warned me for something, but I don’t know what and after a while when I looked back he was gone. I mean this could be nothing but I don’t know something wasn’t right. Also he…he reminded me of someone! Not sure who though. Anyway I am sure… I’m sure it’s nothing Happy sorry for calling. I just wanted to get it off my chest cause it was kinda creepy. Sorry again for calling y--”  
“Hey kid stop there for a minute. Yes, ok we appreciate you for handing us reports about everything, though I don’t think it’s something worth mentioning anyway. But, it’s good that you called cause tony wanted to meet with you this week. So now I am going through his schedule and today looks good. Do you want me to come and pick you up after school, or do you have too much homework? This way you can talk to tony about it too, if it’s bothering you that much”.  
“Wow Mr. Stark wants to meet with me yeah sure come pick me up! Do you know what it is about?”

Peter is soooo exited that he will get to hang out at the compound some more. Maybe he will get to meet with the Avengers again and have a chance to know them in person this time. He has to admit though that he feels intimidated, cause what would they think if they knew that Spiderman is a 15 year old teen? Would they feel weird for fighting him in Germany? Still it would be great though and Ned would be soooo jealous! While Peter is on the phone with Happy he is walking to school. Before the spider bite May made him promise to always take the longest way to the nearest bus stop, as to avoid a certain shortcut through one or two kind of sketchy alleys. After Peter got his powers though he tended to chose the shortest way without telling May. She didn’t need to worry anymore than she already did and he could now defend himself if anything was to happen. He does that every day and especially if he is running late. And according to his phone he is. The alley is always empty. Only once if he remembered correctly he crossed ways with an old lady looking through the garbage. So he was quite surprised to see a man standing with his back resting on the wall looking suspicious. But Peter was Spiderman right? Those things did not frighten him anymore so he continued walking towards the guy like nothing was going on. 

“I have no idea. So kid what time do you finish school today?”  
His spidey sense goes nuts! Peter looks at the guy. His posture goes rigid from recognition and he gasps.  
“You! Happy call T -- ”  
The words does not come out. He feels like his muscles have suddenly atrophied. In a second the world turns from normal to liquid. Is his body tilting to the side? A hit in the head makes it clear that he is now on the ground. Awww! Happy’s voice on the phone sounds concerned. What did he say again? Peter cannot think nor answer. Nothing makes sense. A second guy appears out of nowhere and takes the phone from his hands probably ending the call. Was he here the whole time? What is happening? Am I drugged? May is gonna kill me! Everything starts moving again.  
Random images and sounds come and go. The pavement moves. Sounds from a car nearby. A door closes and everything is even darker now. Voices.  
“Why is he not out yet? I thought you made the cocktail special!”  
Am I being kidnapped? Why am I not upset? Peter tries to shout but there is something blocking his mouth from obeying. When did that happen? He moves and realizes his hands are tied. Is that Vibranium? I am in sooo much trouble. Somebody is near him then he blacks out completely. 

 

Happy was terrified. Something definitely happened to the kid. He sounded normal and then he heard him gasp and call his name for help although nothing else he said after that made sense. The sound that followed was too much like a body hitting the ground, followed by footsteps and the call ended. Happy was trembling while calling Tony.

Tony worked all night last night and at around 6 in the morning he fell asleep leaning on his work counter in his lab. A phone is ringing. Somebody pick it up. The ringtone continues. Groggily he opens his eyes and realizes it was his phone.  
“Happy Hogan is calling sir. Would you like to answer?”  
“Yes F.R.I.D.A.Y. put him on speaker.” His voice is hoarse from sleep. This better be important.  
“Happy why--”he was caught off by Happy’s terrified voice.  
“Boss the kid…”  
Tony is up in an instant. “What happened to the kid Happy?”  
“We were on the phone and suddenly he began to call for help but something stopped him. After that the call ended. He is in danger Tony. I think someone attacked him.”  
“F.R.I.D.A.Y. truck his suit! Happy go to May Parker’s apartment make sure she is safe and keep her there. I will be on my way.” The call ends. “F.R.I.D.A.Y. you better have a location!”  
“I have a signal. Sending the location in your suit sir.”

Tony gets in the suit and flies to the location as fast as possible.  
The alley is empty. An abandoned backpack lies on the pavement.  
There are traces of blood nearby.  
Fuck. Fuck! He was too late. 

His kid is gone...


	2. Company of ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Thank you for liking the story so far and for all your supporting comments! Here is a new chapter for you :)

Happy drove frantically to the Parkers’ house. And when he arrived, thank God, May was still there ready to leave for work.

“Mrs. Parker” he shouts to her from inside the car. May turns around, keys in hand ready to leave the building.  
“Is that you Mr. Hogan? Are you here for Peter? He left 10 minutes ago.”  
“No Mrs. Parker I am actually here for you. Would you mind talking to me inside the house? It’s important.”  
May looked terrified suddenly. “Is Peter ok? Did something happen?”  
Happy tried to let her know that it was something that concerned not only Peter but Spider-kid too.  
“Mrs. Parker I think it’s better we take this conversation inside”. May looked pale but she understood. She opened the entrance to the building and waited for Happy to park the car. Then they took the stairs to the apartment. 

Tony arrived at the apartment 30 minutes later. May was waiting at the door. Her eyes were red. One look at the backpack in Tony’s hands was more than enough.  
“He’s… He…what…”  
“I am sorry May.” She swayed and Happy caught her before she hit the ground. They helped her sit on the couch and brought her a glass of water.  
Tony tried to speak but his voice sounded ready to break too. “We will find him May. I promise you I will do whatever it takes. No one touches Peter and lives to tell the tale. I have everyone back at the compound searching for footage as we speak. He was on the phone with Happy when it happened.”  
“I know, Happy told me. Please Tony help us he is all I have left…”  
“Shhh May, we will find him ok? Now I need to ask you something.”  
“Yes please if it can help… whatever….whatever for Pet-” She stopped mid sentence and started to cry again.  
“May please relax ok? And try to think. Did Peter tell you anything? May…please breath slowly and try to be strong for Peter ok?” At the mention of Peter’s name his voice broke too, but this was not the time or place to freak out. This woman just learned that the last member of her family got kidnapped. Peter is basically her son.  
“Ok better now? Look May I am going to be 100% percent honest with you. We don’t know yet who did it or why. But, we know a few things and maybe you can help. First thing we know May is that there is at least one guy involved. Second thing is Peter’s reaction. From what Happy says he recognized him. So May listen. Do you know anyone that would want to hurt him? Did he argue with someone? Anything you might know can help.”  
“No, no sorry Stark I… we…he …why would anyone we know what to purposely hurt my kid? This does not make sense. Sorry I don’t…”  
“It’s alright May. Just if anything comes in mind please tell us. No matter how unimportant it may seem. Now there is a suspicion. As I said, Pete was on the phone with Happy when it happened and he told him that last night someone was looking at him suspiciously. And when I say him I mean Spiderman. Now May I want you to be strong ok? Because if the guy that Peter saw last night and the guy that we know is involved are the same individual, then whoever did this knows Peter is Spiderman. This puts you in danger too. That’s why—”  
“I don’t give a shit about me Stark. I want him back and I want him well. If this guy knows he is Spiderman then that means that he will take more extreme measures to make sure he cannot escape right? ” Tony could not lie to her.  
“Yes”.  
“What else do we know?”  
“Not much. He told Happy he thought he knew the guy he saw last night. So this is the reason why we think those two incidents might me connected. What we suspect is; Peter saw the guy from last night, recognized him and then he got attacked.”  
“How did it happen? I mean he is Spiderman after all. It would take some fight to bring him down.”  
“Well about that…May…look we think he was drugged.”  
“Oh, no!”  
“May, I know. Listen; at least he is not injured. It could be worse ok? What if they beat him up? No this is the best scenario for Peter, ok? ”  
Tony made sure to not inform her about the blood near the backpack on the scene. It was not much anyway and it was probably caused when Peter hit the ground. It was good news that at least the kid was not injured, but he couldn’t stop himself from thinking about the condition he would be in when he woke up. Would the drugs have side effects? Maybe the drugs were not enough to knock him out, considering the kid’s crazy metabolism, and his captors used violence too. What did they need Peter for in the first place? Peter is just a kid. Who does that? Especially if they knew his true identity. It would take a special kind of monster to hurt a kid. And it would take a special psychopath to mess with Tony Stark’s kid. They were dead men walking.  
Tony couldn’t stay there any longer. He needed to work the case himself. He was sure his people did whatever they could, but he just had to be in his lab and find the kid as soon as possible. He left May with Happy. Later, after May would feel better, she would take some clothes and Happy would drive her upstate. They had to keep an eye on her, since they knew none of the captor’s intentions.

 

A car enters an underground parking lot. There are no other cars in this level. A company of 10 awaits their arrival. Six bodyguards carrying guns and four men and women dressed as scientists. Next to them there is a hospital gurney in front of an elevator. The car stops in front of them. The driver gets out first.  
“Do you have him?”  
“One 15year old Peter Parker you mean? He can be all yours. Do you have what we asked for?”  
“Right here” the head scientist said and handed him a bag.  
“Do I need to count them?”  
“It’s all there. You can take your time and count if you want.”  
The driver looks back at the car and nods to the second man in the back. The back door opens. A tall guy comes out carrying after him the unconscious and fragile form of a boy. The scientists push the gurney next to the car.  
“Let’s place him on the bed” says the head scientist and the rest help put Peter in place.  
“First check if he is indeed unconscious. Then unlock the handcuffs and strap him on the gurney.”  
A female scientist proceeded to check Peter’s pupils. “He is out” she says and then with quick motions they unlock the handcuffs and lock each limb on straps in the sides of the gurney. After they are done the same female scientist removes the peace of duct tape from Peter’s mouth and they start pushing the gurney in front of the elevator.  
The head scientist addresses the two men again.  
“I guess that will be it guys. Thank you for your help. Now we can all be on our way.”

The driver opened the front door of the car and got in, looking like he wasn’t the least bothered by what was going on. The second guy walked to the co-driver’s seat and hesitated for a second looking back at the gurney, were the kid was strapped, that was being pushed inside the elevator at the moment. He had a kid too and couldn’t not feel bad about what he had just done. But he desperately needed the money. He got in the car’s seat and the car started. A few minutes later they were driving in New York City’s traffic. They where rich now, but why did he not feel joy? Something wasn’t right. First of all the way this kid looked at him. Did he know him? He definitely had no idea who this Peter Parker was. And fuck, the more he thought about it the worse he felt. Spiderman was a kid! He had just kidnapped and sold a fucking kid! What kind of a monster was he? He had killed people in the past. That was a new low for him though. A kid! Fuck!! Also why did they want him particularly for this job? They offered whatever they asked for as long as he was there. The name Peter Parker though did not ring a bell. Is there something he should know? 

That night when his daughter asked for a goodnight kiss he felt sick.  
He stayed awake all night staring at the ceiling.


	3. A shadow of a man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I hope you are all well :) I know things don't look good for Peter. I am sorry. It will all be fine in the end though! Please enjoy!

Tony had locked himself in his lab for hours now. Happy tried to enter a few times but his pass would not give him access. After Happy’s failed attempts it was time for May to try and get in. Of course if Happy was not granted access, there was no luck for her. That though was not going to stop her. Tony had no other choice but open the doors after five minutes of listening to her loud screams. 

“What do you expect me to tell you May? I can’t find him! I can’t! There are no leads from the crime scene. The police and my team are working on it all day. And I cannot tell them that your kid is Spidey so they think he just run away. They want to talk to you.”  
“How much time has passed?”  
“About 6 hours. Time is important in such cases and we have lost lots of it! If nothing comes up soon then we are facing a really bad scenario that I refuge to consider.”  
While Tony was talking Happy was paying attention on his body language and he became concerned. Tony was constantly touching his left arm as if to bring life back to it. He was also shaking a little bit. Tony was freaking out and Happy felt the need to intervene, not only because he deeply cared for him, but also because Tony was maybe Peter’s only chance, if he wanted to be honest.  
“Alright everybody! Let’s not lose it now, ok? The kid needs us. One step at a time!”  
He looked at May.  
“Mrs. Parker. As Tony said, you will need to talk to the police sooner or later. So let’s arrange it now and---”  
Happy stopped. May waited him to finish.  
“And?” Happy raised his hand to halt her.  
He turned to Tony.  
“Boss. Hear me out. Peter saw the guy…but not as Peter. The first time boss! The first time he was Spiderman!”

Tony’s eyes grew bigger. Why did he not think of this earlier! Had he been so stressed that he stopped thinking straight? He also had to face the police all morning trying to convince them to leave May alone for now. He did not want to freak her out more. And they considered her a possible suspect for God’s sake. Him too, but he already gave a statement, which also took precious time. And within all this mess he might have a lead this whole time!  
“Baby monitor protocol”, he exclaimed and rushed to where he left Peter’s backpack.  
If the guy Peter saw last night is the same guy that attacked him today, then there is last night’s footage. That means they might have a face.

 

\---

He was the head scientist of cross specie genetics in Oscorp Industries. He was respected in his field. Some would say the best. He earned money. So much money. He could stop today and never work again in his life. That much money he had. Life was good.

Life sucked. One night at an Oscorp Industries party he eavesdropped on two of his fellow scientists.  
“What the fuck happened today? They are shutting our research down? We are having perfect results! How can they do that?”  
“It’s the spider incident I am sure.”  
“We are losing our jobs because of a spider? That bitch found a way to get out! We were not the ones in charge of keeping an eye on them.”  
“I agree. But they cannot find how it happened so the one in charge of the research will take the blame. Of course they cannot go public about it. It’s been so long since he last had a breakthrough anyway. Its time he retires. And since they are shutting our program down, he has no other way to be back on top. He is done for all I know.”  
“Poor Mr. Stone…. Don’t give me that look! I will lose my job but he is a good guy! He was my mentor after all.”

Professor Edward Stone. Head scientist of cross specie genetics in Oscorp Industries. Once he was a good man. He was successful and his students looked up to him. He couldn’t lose what he worked years for. During the months that followed after that disappearing spider incident, his research was deleted. Every single file and result gone. The spiders were killed. It was like they never existed. If there was a chance that, that little spider had escaped to the world and had bitten someone, Oscorp would not take the blame. Human experimentation was not approved yet. No one knew what harm a spider bite of that kind could do. A multi-million dollar lawsuit was right around the corner for all they knew.  
Edward Stone and his team were not fired. They had a deadline to provide Oscorp with a new research breakthrough in a year. It’s funny how quickly 11 months can pass. Their asses were on the line. They had nothing worth to show. That was it for them. Edward Stone became more and more a shadow of himself. Looked more insane day after day. 

Now let’s talk about today.  
You might have guessed what he is doing by now.

This morning he got what he wanted. He might not have his research, but the results of his life’s work lie strapped on a stretcher right in front of him. His team is currently working on him. Making sure he will behave while they study his mutations up close.  
After a while his team seems to be ready. He approaches his specimen and stands right next to the stretcher. 

“Alright team. Seems like we are good. Let’s go through what you did so far once more to make sure we did not miss anything. Then we can continue.”  
A woman came forward holding a hospital chart in hand.  
“Yes sir”, she said. “So as you know Spidey was successfully retrieved by our men this morning. They caught him by surprise, as was planed, and injected him with our drug formula. The formula acted instantly but also wore of quite quickly. Our men needed to use some force during the move.”  
She proceeded to tilt Peter’s head to the side where a bruise from an obvious hit to the head was visible. “Parker lost consciousness after the hit. Then he was delivered to us. From the moment we got him we inserted an IV line with the same paralytic formula. You will see him open his eyes from time to time or try to move but he is not lucid. We will keep him in this state for as long as it takes.”  
“Good. I am very pleased to hear that. Now what about the rest?”  
“We also inserted a feeding tube as you can see. We are administering one thousand calories per day. They are not enough for a mutated individual like him obviously. But we will start monitoring whether he can survive with this much for now. Furthermore we inserted a urine catheter to be able to monitor his kidney function, since the drugs can affect them with time.”  
Edward Stone inspected the unconscious teen. He was dressed in a hospital gown and looked pale. His eyelids were half open, but his irises were not the same size. It was obvious the kid was not at all lucid. The feeding tube was held in place in his right nostril with surgical tape.  
“What are his stats?” he asked.  
“Blood pressure 120 over 80, pulse 50 beats per minute, no signs of pathologic heart rate, oxygen saturation 99% and his blood and urine tests look good. I think we are ready to proceed.”  
“I think so too.”

 

___

A few hours later Tony Stark would have a panic attack. He had found the footage. It was dark and the guy was wearing a hoodie. His facial recognition program did not have a clear picture to run. He searched for footage from the nearby cameras. Nothing. The guy knew were the cameras were. No footage from the time Peter was kidnapped either. The alley had no cameras and he was wearing a hoodie, sunglasses and a hat before he arrived. 

Was that it? Would he ever see his kid again?  
He looked at the Iron Spider suit which was displayed across the room.  
Then he broke into silent tears.


	4. Cold Places

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! It is me again with another chapter! Thank you for the likes and the comments :) Sorry for taking my time to write this. I had a lot of work to do for my uni. I will upload another chapter as soon as possible. Enjoy!

His name was James Barnes. His friends though called him Bucky. And Bucky was now free. Free from Hydra. Free from himself. Free from the Winter Soldier. Free. He left Wakanda a week ago. Alone. Steve would meet him in New York in a few days. First he said he wanted to finish some more business with T’Challa in Wakanda, so he stayed back. Before Bucky left, Steve gave him an old cell phone. It was a way for Tony to find them if he wanted. Bucky knew that much. When he asked Steve why he is giving it to him, he answered that he won’t be able to carry it where he is going. So Bucky took the phone with no intention of using it and returned to New York City.  
Every time Bucky thought of Tony, he felt his heart tighten. He felt guilty for what he did and for Steve who chose to stand by his side. Tony had every right to want him dead. He would probably want the same if he was in Tony’s place. At the same time though what else could he do? He was not himself when he killed them. He hated that. He hated his own self for that. And now he was supposed to live a normal life? How the hell did people expect him to do that? The truth is Bucky thought of suicide a lot of times in his life. In the past when people could just use him however they liked there seemed to be no other option. But after what Steve did…. He stayed by his side. Even against one of his best friends. Even when Tony was right? He couldn’t do it anymore. He couldn’t do that to Steve. He did not deserve such a friend in his life. 

It was a sunny day. New York was packed with people as always. Bucky was wearing a dark blue hoodie with sunglasses and a hat. The last thing he needed was for someone to recognize him. After hours of walking around he decided to grab something to eat. He also needed coffee. He found a small coffee shop with delicious looking donuts. He found an empty seat near the window, that way he wouldn’t need to take his glasses of because of the sun. He was halfway through his first chocolate donut when on the TV on the opposite wall the picture of a missing kid went on display. The kid’s name was Peter Parker. He had brown hair and eyes and was 15 years old. He was missing for a day now. Well New York City was not the safest place on earth and teenagers also had the tendency to run away and reappear days later, so Bucky would not have given more of his attention to that matter if he did not hear the following words from the two people sitting next to him.

“Look at that kid dude! He is the one I told you about. Dude that kid made me rich! I don’t think I am working ever again.”  
“Man you told me he was young. That is a kid! Are you sure he is… you know…”  
“100%! You won’t be seeing Spidey anytime soon”  
“What the fuck you think they will do to him man? Do you think they will kill him?”  
“Hell if I care! I used to work for Hydra for years and they did not pay me well. You don’t say no to such an offer.”  
“So who is behind all this?”  
“Can’t say man! I wanna stay alive.”  
“Who did you do this job with man? And how much money? Come on say something!”  
“I was with another guy. I did not know him from before but they requested him. His name is Daniel Wells. Lives in Jersey. That is all I know. And we are talking six digits….”

Bucky was already leaving when he heard the word Hydra. Even if they did not hold him anymore, they were everywhere. That man could have recognized him if he saw him. He had to leave. Would he ever feel safe? Where is Steve when you need him, he thought. He knew he needed some kind of psychological support, but now that he can barely breathe after just hearing the word Hydra being mentioned by a random dude, he was sure of it.  
After walking for about three blocks he started to come back to himself. He found an empty bench in a park and sat down to think about what just happened. After a few minutes of fear and dilemma he put his metal hand in his pocket and reached for the old cell phone he thought he wouldn’t use. With dread he pressed the call button and waited for a certain someone to pick up. 

\----------------------

Tony stayed up all night. That day was Wednesday. Yesterday was one of the worst days of his life. Peter went missing. He had to deal with a parent that was at the verge of collapsing. That was May. He was questioned by the police for hours. Then he thought he had a breakthrough but later in the evening his hopes sunk, drowning him deeper in despair. All night he was trying to find new leads. He and May called all their neighbors, all of Peter’s friends and residents of the area in general in hopes that someone saw something. Nothing. It was now ten o’clock in the morning. Hours were passing. They were losing precious time….  
He was on the phone with the police department …. again.

“Yes Mr. Black I understand that teenagers tend to disappear like that, but not Peter.” Mr. Black was talking for a while and Tony looked more and more tired by the second.  
“Yes again Mr. Black nothing happened at school. We talked to all of his friends and they all said they noticed nothing out of the ordinary. Please…”  
Mr. Black interrupted Tony again and Tony’s patience ran out.  
“Mr. Black I respect you and your department’s work but I can assure you that someone attacked and kidnapped Peter yesterday. I don’t give a shit about the other kids his age or that Peter’s background suggests that he run away. You have a crime scene with an abandoned backpack with all his belongings inside and blood a few meters away. I get that he could have been caught in a fight with some bully from school, but this is not what happened. May Parker is an excellent parent and takes great care of Peter and that argument about her not knowing where Peter goes to some nights of the week does not mean that she is incapable of taking care of him or that Peter is a thug of some kind. With all due respect sir GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER AND FIND MY KID! Also for the millionth time NO I am not secretly his biological father! Goodbye Mr. Black and I hope the next time you call me you have the answer to the question WHO TOOK MY KID!!”

When Tony hung up he was beyond furious. He hated that he had to ask the police for help, but he had no other option. He let his head rest on the desk he was sitting on. The cold surface felt relaxing against his forehead. 

I will never find him. 

He stayed like that for some time listening to the office’s silence. The only sound was steps outside his door. Stark Industry’s personnel walking in front of his corridor, going through their everyday courses like nothing was going on. His pain was unbearable. If Peter was not found he did not want to exist. And he wanted for everything to stop to exist. The steps outside his door annoyed him. Everything annoyed him. Then his forehead vibrated. What the fuck? Then it vibrated again. He raised his head from the desk and it took him a minute to put two and two together. There was only one thing that could create that. A phone. And there was a phone capable of doing that in the first drawer of his desk. He opened the drawer. The old phone was flashing an incoming call. There was only one person who could call that number. He takes the phone in his hand and his heart beats even faster. Damn he did not think that was even possible. Slowly he opens the cap and puts the phone in his ear. He takes a breath and hears outside noises on the other end. He then replies with a tired voice.

“Steve?”  
There is no answer. He can definitely hear someone breathing on the other side of the line though.  
“Look Steve, this is not a good time. Any other time I would like to talk to you. Seriously any other time. If aliens do not attack earth again or I don’t know if some other threat of massive destruction has not appeared, then please hang up and I will reach you as soon as I can. I am sorry pal. Really.”  
He can hear breaths again from the other side and right when he is ready to end the call he hears a voice.  
“I am not Steve.”  
Oh no. That is not Steve. Fuck. That is not Steve.  
“You son of a bitch—”  
“Stark…..I am sorry… I wouldn’t call…. just….answer me one question. Ok?”  
“Answer you a question? Why the fuck should I do that? You kill---”  
“Does the name Peter Parker ring a bell to you?”  
Silence. Tony freezes. He can feel his pulse through his body. And his arm starts to feel numb again.  
“Why are you asking me Barnes?”  
“He is Spiderman, isn’t he?”  
Tony has no idea why he trusted this person with this very delicate information but he answers  
“Yes”  
He can hear Barnes breathing heavily on the other side of the phone.  
“Listen Stark. You have every reason to hate me. I think I have some information about what happened to him”.  
And like that Stark starts walking up and down his office listening to every word James Barnes has to say. If you told him that there would be a day when he would be happily speaking with the Winter Soldier he would never believe you. 

\----------------------

In a lab not that far away the scientists continued with their study.  
The center of their study lay in a cryo chamber. The contraption had a flat surface like a bed, where Peter was now resting on. On each side of the contraption one could see clouds of cold that kept his body in a very low temperature. The top was open. That way the scientist had immediate access to his body and also the temperature did not drop that much.  
From time to time Peter’s body would shiver from the cold. His limbs were still tied down with Vibraniun cuffs, even if he is too out of it to even try and get out of them. Along with the feeding tube, the multiple IV lines and catheters that were attached to his body, now he also has electrodes stuck to his chest and an oximeter placed over his right index finger.  
A man wearing a lab coat arrives and takes notes of Peter’s vitals. He barely shows any sign of sympathy when Peter’s body shivers again. A few minutes later he turns his back to the boy and walks away.


	5. Shape and colour

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am back again! As always I hope you enjoy the story and thank you so far for the kudos and comments. I am soooo excited for Infinity War and especially after the second trailer today!! Ahh I can't wait!!!!

Cold. It’s cold. 

“Sir, we have lowered the dose the last hour as you requested.”  
“Good. How does he respond?”  
“Not sure yet sir, although he responds to painful stimuli now.”  
“Hm, I guess we’ll see. The drugs started to affect his right kidney, but we don’t want him completely awake either. He is too strong and we cannot risk that. The cryo-chamber will keep him under, I think, but we can’t be sure with this specimen. We will have to keep a close eye I guess.”  
“What about today’s scheduled procedure?”  
“Oh we will do it of course. I don’t think he can cause us any trouble. We will have sedatives close by, just in case.”  
Peter’s body shivered on the cold surface.  
“Don’t worry he does that a lot. Uncuff him and bring him to the exam table so we can start. Call the others to help carry him.”  
While Edward Stone was checking Peter’s IV bags, his assistant called the rest of the group. The other two assistants, both wearing lab coats and holding coffees entered the lab.  
First they roll the exam table next to the cryo chamber. Then they reposition the medical equipment like the monitor, the iv stand etc, so that when Peter is moved nothing gets pulled out. Lastly they take positions, two holding Peter’s upper body and two his lower.  
“One, two, three.” They lift Peter and position him on the exam table.  
The lift seems to stir Peter a little bit. His eyes open and he stares at the ceiling. 

It is so cold.

“Peter?” Edward Stone moves forward while the rest of his team moved back in fear.  
“Peter?”he asks and slaps his chick. “See I told you no worries. Let’s resume. Turn him to the side.”

The scientists still looked frightened but they came close and slowly turned him on his right side. Peter’s body was showing no resistance, but his eyes were still open focusing nowhere in particular. One of the assistants went to the cabinets on the opposite wall and returned holding a long needle and disinfectant. The others opened the hospital gown Peter was wearing exposing his bare back. The guy holding the needle took position while his colleague disinfected Peter’s lower back area. The moment the disinfectant came in touch with Peter’s skin his body convulsed. They all looked at Professor Stone fearful waiting for his orders. He remained calm.  
“It’s nothing. This is to be expected since the drug dosage is low and he is out of the chamber. Continue please.”  
The assistant with the needle did not need to be told twice. He took position again and with a clean move he drove the tip of the needle in the center of Peter’s spine. He was quick and efficient and when moments later the needle was out the syringe was full of transparent cerebrospinal fluid.  
Then Peter moved again and this time the group had to hold his arms and legs to keep him still.  
“Quick move him back to the cryo-chamber” said Stone and his group complied. 

Peter was cold.  
And something irritated him.  
He tried to move a little to find out what it was. Nothing happened.  
He opened his eyes.  
Wow he had eyes yes how could he forget? Colours and funny shapes filled his vision. He liked them. They also moved? Interesting. Square was a colour right? Or was it not? Was square the only colour he remembered? Hmm… this question troubled his mind for a while until he blinked and it hit him.  
Total brightness. He could not see the nice colours any more. It was too bright to see anything. He tried to move away from the intense light but something stopped him. Then he felt like flying until his back hit a very very very cold surface.  
“C..hh..”  
Who said that? Then sound hit him harder than the brightness did.  
“Aaaahhh” said a voice that he thought he knew. Was it his?  
Do I have a voice?  
“Strap him down. Don’t give him any more drugs though. The cryo will be enough.”  
After that Peter’s mind fell into a fog. Before he let go of his consciousness he heard people talk above him.  
“Sir he is seizing. What do we do?”  
“It’s from the drug deprivation. What we gave him was quite addictive. Leave him be it will pass eventual—”

He heard no more.  
\------------------------

Bucky rushed to the compound as soon as possible. He was afraid to meet Tony, but at the same time he put his feelings aside cause the matter at hand was more important. He got of the taxi and saw him pacing nervously at the front yard. He looked tired. Like he had days to sleep and considering what happened it had to be true. He walked towards him not really believing the events of the day. The events of his first day back. 

“Did you find him?” Tony asked.  
“The address you sent me indeed belongs to a man named Daniel Wells. He lives there with his daughter. I knocked but no one answered. The neighbors told me they saw him rushing away with his kid this morning. He said he had to leave for sometime due to an emergency. He did not say where he was headed to.”  
Tony looked like he was about to say something but he stopped. He looked like he swayed on his feet momentarily but it was very slight and Bucky could not be sure.  
“We will have to—”  
“When was the last time you ate Stark?”  
“I don’t want your pity Barnes. If you came here just to—”  
“I am just starving that’s why I asked.” That was a lie but Stark really needed a break. “I say we go inside and plan how we will track him down during lunch” he said and without waiting for him to respond he headed inside with Tony silently following.  
Tony had stayed back while Bucky was visiting Daniel Well’s residence to give May and Happy a heads up. Also he gave strict orders to Barnes. In case he found the guy he had to question him for the location of the kid. In case that was not enough to persuade him to talk, then Barnes would have to drag him to the compound alive and Tony would make his life a living hell until he would have no other option but talk.  
Once inside Happy and May were waiting anxiously. Tony looked too sad to bring them more bad news. “Go ahead in the conference room Stark. Tell your stuff to serve us. I will introduce myself and we are coming right after you.”  
Tony complied without any hint of protest. When he was far enough Bucky turned to the other two.  
“He looked ready to fall down outside. And so are you, no offence. I am Bucky Barnes. Please call me Bucky. You must be Peter’s aunt. I am so sorry for what happened but we are doing our best.”  
“Nice to meet you Bucky. Call me May. So do we know where Peter is?”  
“Not yet I’m afraid, but now that we have a name it won’t be long. Why don’t you go and see how Tony is doing and I’ll be there in a minute after I have a word with Mr. Hogan for our next moves?”  
When he and Happy where alone, Happy spoke first.  
“Listen Barnes. I will play good for the kid’s sake. But I don’t trust you. I get that the bustard wasn’t there right?”  
“No he wasn’t so you keep trying to locate him with your team here. Truck his credit cards his phone, everything. He will be found sooner or later. Stark has the best tech. I don’t know if I liked little Spidey when I fought him in Germany. He didn’t know how to shut up. But damn he was just a kid. I am still shocked. How fucked up is Stark to use a kid? Obviously though I am not gonna create any fuss about it now. And trust me I don’t like it one bit that I am here either. But he seems in need of as much help as he can get and I happened to stumble upon a lead. If it mutters at all I am sorry for everything, but this is not the time to fight.”  
Two hours passed and still no sign on Daniel Wells. They felt more desperate than ever. 

\------------------

It was 9 o’clock at Wednesday night when one of the girls working at the compound’s reception entered the conference room.  
“What happened to knocking?” Tony asked. “And I thought I was clear when I said no Stark Industries business!”  
“Sir I am sorry but I had to. There is a man here requesting a meeting.”  
“Tell him to go away.”  
“Sir he is pretty persistent and he says it’s about Mr. Peter Parker.”  
Everyone froze. Tony spoke.  
“What is that person’s name?”  
“Daniel Wells sir.”


	6. The one who surrendered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! For some reason this was a tough chapter to write. Maybe because I cannot wait to write the next one!! As always thanks for liking my story :) Enjoy

“What is the person’s name?”  
“Daniel Wells sir.”

It was like their blood turned into ice. Numbness poured through Tony’s body. When he spoke he felt like it was somebody else forming the words on his lips.  
“What? Are you sure? Tell him to come in!”  
“Uhmm…. he requested a meeting alone with you, sir.”  
Tony was ready to object but May stood up and headed to leave.   
“I want to kill that son of a bitch with my own hands Stark, but first we need to find Pete.” Then she looked at Bucky and said “We will be outside”.

Tony was left alone waiting for the reception girl to bring him in.  
It was so quiet that he could easily listen to his elevated heartbeat. What was happening?   
Not even a minute later she was back, and with her came a tall man with brown hair and blue eyes. He looked around the same age as Tony. He looked anxious and afraid. Good, Tony thought. By some kind of miracle he remained calm. The receptionist left.   
They were alone.  
Tony nods to the guy to sit on the chair opposite to him. The guy complies. They look at each other. He doesn’t remember having felt anything similar ever. Such a wish to kill someone and numbness at the same time. Tony is ready to speak but the guy is quicker.

“I came to surrender.”  
Why? Is what Tony wanted to know. But there was no time for that.   
“Listen to what is going to happen” he said and sat up. He walked right next to the guy and grabbed him by his shirt collar. “First you tell me where the kid is. Then I lock you up in here and go and bring the kid back. If the kid is ok, I will consider giving you to the police. But…..if you have hurt my kid in any way……prepare yourself. You will be begging for the good policemen to come get you.”  
The guy looked shaken but determined.   
“Am I clear?”

\---------------------------------

May and Bucky did not have to wait for long. Tony and the guy were talking for about ten minutes. She passed up and down the corridor.  
Will we find my Peter? Did this fucker touch my kid? Oh God what if he did? Is Peter ok? Is he even alive? No May don’t think like that everything will be ok. Only nothing is ok. God she wanted nothing else. She would give everything just to hold her kid again. Just to see him smile at her. She stood still and rested her back on the wall. Bucky looked at her while she was taking deep breaths to calm down. He could not even imagine how this woman must be feeling. How could she still function? Her kid was missing for two days.   
The door of the conference room opened wide and Tony rushed out.   
“Where is Happy? Happy!”

Harry appeared moments later.   
“He is inside. Go get him and lock him up in the basement.”  
Happy rushed inside and came out puzzled.  
“Boss he is unconscious.”  
“I know Happy I didn’t control myself.” He turned his attention to Bucky. “You will come with me. We have a location. May, please stay calm.”  
“Shut up Stark I am coming with you!”  
“Not where we are going, you are not. You will stay here and find Pepper. Tell her to call Banner and prepare his team ok? I will send her our location. Then do whatever Pepper tells you to. I will bring him home.”  
May was crying but she agreed to stay back. Tony and Bucky run out the door and disappeared in the dark of the night. 

\----------------------------

Pepper Potts was on the phone with a client when May Parker entered her office. The last two days she was running the company and at the same time she had to help Tony with the investigations. She was devastated when she learned the news about Peter. She really liked the kid although she didn’t want him risking his life from such a young age. One day Peter was hanging at the compound with Tony talking about suit upgrades and she happened to eavesdrop a conversation about his aunt finding out that he was Spiderman. Later that night Pepper asked Tony why Peter lived with his aunt and what Tony told her about Peter’s past made her love the kid even more.   
The moment Pepper saw May she politely hang up the phone promising to call back later in the day. 

“You must be May Parker, Peter’s aunt. He talks about you all the time. I am Pepper Potts, nice to finally meet you. Please sit down.”  
May looked very much on edge. “Nice to meet you too, please call me May. Tony and that weird guy ‘Bucky’ was his name I think left to find Peter!”  
Pepper did not expect that turn of events so she asked “Did they find something?”  
“A guy came here and asked to meet Stark. Happy now locked him somewhere in the compound and they left to the location that he told them about. Tony told me to tell you to call someone named Banner and prepare his team. Do you know who that is?”  
Pepper looked even more upset when May mentioned Banner’s name. If Tony asked for Bruce then that meant that he didn’t expect to find Peter in a very good condition, that meant they would probably need Banner’s expertise over enhanced individuals like Peter. God was the kid ok? She tried to compose herself in front of May. Damn that woman looked even worse than Tony.  
“I know him yes. For the time being May I will call Happy to stay with you in the communal floor and once I have news I will join you ok?”  
May wanted to help too, but she also felt ready to fall down. She did not sleep since Peter went missing. So she nodded and headed to the area that Pepper told her about where she found Happy sitting in one of the couches. He looked stressed too. Those people loved Peter after all, she realized. It was like Peter found a second family. She was glad. Her kid had been through so much after all.

\---------------------------

Bruce Banner worked nonstop in the compound’s lab for the last two days. It was three months ago that he returned to earth. Tony asked him a lot of times about what happened but he dodged the questions not too skillfully. He did not feel like talking about the past two years as the Hulk. For now he missed being himself and he missed his research. So it was great relief when Tony asked him to stay and work for his company until he felt better. About one month ago he met Peter during a weekend. He instantly knew that this kid was special. He was a genius and enjoyed talking to him about his projects. He found that Tony and Peter were the only two people who could truly understand most of his research.   
It was only natural to feel devastated when Tony told him that the kid went missing. And he almost turned into Hulk when he was later informed that the kid was Spiderman. Bruce did not know much about the Queens superhero. He was away for the last two years after all. But after he returned he found out that during his absence Spidey had become quite popular. After searching him online he was impressed to say the least with his abilities. He was mad at Tony. How could he drag a kid into this mess. No matter what the kid was capable of. It was impossible to stay mad at him though once he saw Tony last night. 

“Hey Tony, I know it looks bad, but Peter is tough right? He will get through this.”  
“How did I let this happen Bruce? And his Aunt. Oh God. She looks like a ghost. She lost her husband less than a year ago. And now this.”  
“Come one Tony don’t blame yourself. We will find him and then we’ll talk about all this.”

When Pepper called him in and told him to prepare a med team asap, cold sweat ran down his forehead. His heart skipped a beat when he read the location. Oscorp tower. Tony informed him last night about Peter’s powers’ origin. So the bustards knew. He didn’t even wanna know the condition that the kid would be in. Fuck this was not good.

\-------------------------  
Peter was laying in the cryo-chamber. He had no clue of his environment. The lab team was testing his system for various substances that night, injecting them through an iv. They didn’t dare take him out of the chamber again after the more alert condition he was in this morning. Now he was in a deep state between unconsciousness and sleep. He did not hear the sudden noises coming from outside of the lab, nor the screams of the lab team when two men forcefully entered the room. And he definitely did not hear a certain someone calling his name begging him to wake up.


	7. From cold to safety

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sooooooooo I guess I am sorry for making them suffer so much, but then again I am not sorry :) This chapter is twice the size of the other one's so you better enjoy it. I sure did and thank you for your comments of course!

It was like Tony both wanted to find Peter and also didn’t want to find him. He just had this terrifying scene in his head that played on and on and on. And every time they were too late. He couldn’t bare it. Deep inside he was glad that Bucky was there with him, but he would never admit it. Oscorp tower was where they were heading to. That Wells bitch told him that he was paid, along with another guy, to bring the kid there. A scientist called Edward Stone was behind all this. What infuriated Tony the most was that he knew that guy, Edward Stone. They met during a Stark Expo years ago and he seemed like a decent person. He was a top researcher in Oscorp for years. Tony even tried to steal him from Oscorp and have him working for Stark Industries around 5 years ago. 

He seriously believed he would suffer a heart attack if the kid was not ok. Fuck. Peter was like a son to him. After meeting him and spending time with him he started thinking what it would be like to have his own kids one day. He even talked to Pepper about that idea. Oh God what if they were too late? 

Bucky saw the panic in Stark’s eyes. And the anger. And the pain. He had seen this look in his eyes before. In Siberia. He did not like it one bit. It reminded him of what he’d done. Of what he was. I am not that beast anymore, he needed to remind himself. Tony was in desperate need of someone to calm him down, to convince him that Spiderman was ok. He chose to stay silent instead. He didn’t feel comfortable enough with him yet. He felt guilty. He was the one to take Tony’s parents away. Now he would not be the one who did not save his kid. Also that question always finds a way to return. Is Peter Tony’s son? Cause Tony definitely acts like a father.

When they reach the Oscorp Tower Tony knows where to go. He used to stalk Oscorp for a while a few years back. They were two huge competing companies after all. So when he found the Tower’s blueprints he knew where Edward Stone’s lab was. But he suspected that now Stone wasn’t acting under Oscorp’s orders. Then it would have to be another lab. Maybe an abandoned and remote one would do. Bingo. There was a space in the fourth floor that no one used for years. Ended up as a storage space but still has all the old equipment inside.

Time was of the essence so they did not ask permission to enter the Tower nor did they take time to file for visitor passes at the reception. Tony just grabbed Bucky tight and flew him through the fourth floor’s window. Glass broke and the two of them where inside. Someone screamed. It was a woman in a lab coat. She was visibly startled. Bucky caught her violently by the hair and asked. Where is Peter Parker? She did not resist just starred Bucky in terror.   
“In the next room” she said. Then Bucky hit her in the head, rendering her unconscious. Under different circumstances Tony wouldn’t approve such brutal violence. But damn he would do the same. 

Now they knew they were at the right place. His heart beat even faster. His right hand felt numb again but it didn’t matter as long as he could still use it to choke that fucker Stone alive. They moved towards the next room and then random men dressed all in black holding guns attacked them. They were not many. Probably around five or six. They didn’t look like Oscorp security. Stone hired his personal guard apparently. But, they were nothing compared to the two of them. The commotion alarmed the scientists that stayed at the next room where Peter was supposed to be and they attempted to flee. No, that was not an option. Tony hit several guards with a beam and caught up with the two runaway scientists.   
“Going somewhere?” another beam and they were out.   
In the meantime Bucky proceeded to the dreaded room. Tony ran to the door and came face to face with the man.   
“Edward Stone” he said and put his right arm at test by groping Stone’s neck and squishing. Yes it worked alright.   
“Give me a reason not to kill you. One reason and—”   
His eyes fell on Bucky. He stood still, eyes fixed somewhere beneath. Oh no. Was that…..?

Tony had no time to deal with Stone after all. He crushed his head with force on the wall. He was out instantly and Tony let him fall to the ground paying him no more attention. He walked slowly towards Bucky. Yes his eyes did not play tricks. This was worse than his worst case scenario. 

“That’s a …”  
“A cryo-chamber” Bucky filled his sentence. And inside the machine lay Peter. 

Oh no, he looked dead. His skin was almost white and the areas around his lips and fingers had a hint of blue. His eyes were terrifying. Half closed and turned upwards with the white part showing. He was dressed in a hospital gown. He looked like he would be freezing if he was awake. And the tubes…. so many of them entering the kid’s body.   
Tony kneeled next to the chamber/bed and took Peter’s head between his hands.

“Peter?”   
Nothing.  
“Peter kid wake up!” he said again and fondled the kid’s forehead removing the hair from his forehead. Tony’s eyes went between the tube coming out of his nostril and the kid’s eyes as if he had trouble deciding which one frightened him the most.   
“F.R.I.D.A.Y. give me vitals.”  
“I can detect a heartbeat sir. It’s slow but that can be explained by the high dose of drugs in his bloodstream. Immediate medical attention is advised.”  
“Call Bruce. Now! Quickly”

He waited for Bruce to pick up while he shook the kid to wake up.   
“You found him Tony?”  
“Yes. Bruce listen things are bad. Things are really really bad.”  
“Ok calm down and tell me what you have.”  
“Peter…. he has been put under.”  
“What do you mean Tony?”  
“They dosed him with drugs and he is now out in a cryo-chamber. Fuuuuuck. Bruce what do I do? He is hooked up to so much equipment… fuck I don’t know what to do….I…he…”  
All of a sudden, Bucky moved. All this time he was just staring at the kid frozen. Now it was like he woke up.   
“I can help” he said “I was …you know when they…. I was in a similar state once… I know a few staff, I can help. Bruce, tell me what to do!”  
Tony looked at Bucky pleading. Bruce was on his way with the jet but he would take some time. The jet was upstate loading the med team and the police had to be notified.  
“Bruce how long will you take?”

“ETA 20-30 minutes. Listen. Bucky can help. But, you need to stay calm. Peter needs you. Now listen carefully. First you need to get him to respond. Find his IV lines and stop any type of drug. Don’t stop the fluids ok? He needs them. Just stop the drugs.”  
Tony found the bag fluids and did what Bruce said. “Ok what’s next?”  
“Next you stop the machine. There is a switch. Bucky should know where to look at. It is usually on the machine.”  
Bucky found it quickly and switched the system off. Instantly the cold flow around Peter’s body stopped and the lights that illuminated the inside of the bed went out.   
“Done” said Bucky sounding a little shaken.   
“Ok good now you need to get him out of there. Is there another bed or surface around where you can place him?”  
Tony searched the room and came back with a stretcher that was positioned next to the opposite wall. “This will do” he said.  
Bruce spoke up again. “Now, Tony, be careful. Is Peter hooked to any other machines? And be specific.”  
“Yes Bruce. Yes he is. There’s a tube going down his nose, a heart monitor with electrodes on his chest and something on his finger. What else?” they search his body for more. It was Bucky that exclaimed.  
“Oh Jesus. Is that a fucking urinal catheter?”  
Tony looked even more appalled, if that was possible. He felt nauseated, but also glad that at least the kid was not awake. 

Bruce was listening and tried to answer in a steady voice, though it broke at the end.   
“Ok, ok let’s see. Try to move the equipment or the bag fluids around so that when you transfer him to the stretcher, they stay connected. We don’t want to pull on anything, you understand? Slow movements and stay calm. Remember that we are on our way!”  
Tony and Bruce looked at each other. Then without further delay they started moving around machines, tubes, electrodes. Bucky took some time, but managed to find a way to open the shackles that held the kid on the bed. When opened they revealed that the skin underneath was bleeding. Peter stayed at the exact same position having no recollection of what was happening around him. His only movement the rise and fall of his chest.

The time to move his body came and Tony and Bucky held his body with extreme gentleness and care. Now he was placed on the bed. Bucky straightened his limbs, while Tony positioned his head better. It frightened him that the kid did not respond at all during all this. Bucky found a blanket in a cabinet and they dropped it over Peter. Then Bruce instructed them to wait. They could help no more. It was time for the medics to take over and they were 10 minutes away.   
Tony fondled Peter’s head gently calling his name to wake up. Bucky wandered in the room anxiously.  
A laud noise of something metallic hitting the ground. Bucky accidentally dropped something.   
“Sorry”.  
Peter’s body convulsed. 

\-------------------------

Brightness.   
Not again. Why?   
When was it bright before?   
And it’s cold. Really cold. Very very very cold. 

It’s ok though. It makes him sleepy. Everything will be ok when he sleeps, right? He closes his eyes blocking the brightness and relaxing. Ohhhh it’s so much better that way. Something made him open his eyes again. What? Let me sleep. He looks around at the moving colours. Then sound hit him hard again.  
“Ahhhh”  
“eter. Peter! Open your eyes kid! Look at me.”  
“Stthhhpp….”  
“Peter please focus here. Peter!”

Someone kept talking. It was disturbing. Why didn’t he stop and leave him alone? And he was laud. And the brightness made it worse. He tried to tell him to go away but his mouth was numb. Mouth. I have arms too? He tried to move them, but something stopped him. It must be the annoying guy again. He opened his eyes and his vision was a little better now.   
In front of him was a face. There was something that he didn’t like once. Something about a face. What? Where did that thought come from? But, he couldn’t stop thinking about it. A face.   
“Th…f..ce…”  
“What? Peter don’t fall asleep on me! Talk to me.” The annoying guy was slapping his cheek now. He had to “St..op”  
“Talk to me kid. Look at me. You know who I am?” His voice sounded concerned. What was this guy’s problem anyway? Peter tried to focus on his face to tell him to go away. The face. There was a face. Where was a face? What?  
“Don’t space out on me Peter!” This time apart from the slaps on his cheek he felt someone shaking his legs too. There was more than one then. He tried to shake them away but again he was stopped. He focused better on the guy this time. His voice, though annoying, was also calming. He thought he was a friend. More interested now he blinked a lot of times to clear his vision. The guy looked afraid. 

“I don’t think he can recognize me Barnes” his voice was shaky. Then recognition hit him harder than the sound and the light together.   
“Mrhh Sta..hhk” He sounded funny even to himself and tried to sit up. He didn’t manage though. He had to stop because dizziness overcame him. Someone caught him and gently placed him back. Now he felt sleepier than ever.   
Someone was calling him again.   
“Am…. I …..sick Mssrrrr Stahh..k?” 

A lot of things happened at once. First Tony was ready to lie to the kid and tell him that he was ok, but before he even began to answer Peter’s body started seizing. It was a most frightening thing to see. The kid’s eyes rolled up and he started to move completely uncoordinated. He hit his head on the stretcher’s headboard two times before Tony reached and took the kid’s head into his arms while Bucky tried to keep the rest of his body from causing himself more harm.   
Tony was ready to call Bruce for help on the com, but then he was standing right in front of him. The medical team had arrived. EMTs rushed to the kid and pushed Tony and Bucky away. Tony was ready to collapse, but for some reason, it was probably just the adrenaline, he kept standing. He watched in fear when Peter’s body relaxed. And he felt nauseated when he saw Bruce carefully pull the numerous tubes and IVs out of Peter. Then Bruce rushed to him and told him that they had to take Peter to the compound’s Med Bay as soon as possible. He instantly nodded yes when they asked him to carry the kid in his arms to the jet. It would be quicker that way. 

\-----------------

Tony was carrying Peter back to the compound. The kid felt too light and looked malnourished and pale. Something wet was slowly covering his fingers, but he didn’t dare look. Peter was not responding for a while now and that made the situation so much more stressful. Tony knew that the kid was breathing, but until he was back on his feet, he wouldn’t rest. He would kill whoever did this to his kid. That was a promise….


	8. Of jets and panic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Well once again I have to apologize for the angst and pain here and in the chapters ahead. I just can't help it!!!!!
> 
> I did not plan to write a fic this long, but the more i write the more ideas I have on the story, so there is much more to come, is all I can say. I just hope to finish this fic before Infinity War, because I am sure I will need to write something new after the movie and all the new material.  
> Thank you for leaving comments and liking the story :) As always enjoy!

Tony was sure it wasn’t Peter. The kid in his arms could not be Peter. If it was Peter, then he would be awake right now and they would all be rolling their eyes because he wouldn’t shut up. The kid wanted to go on a hover jet for months and Tony had to stop him countless times from sneaking in one.

“Come on Mr. Stark. Please we don’t need to fly in it. Let me just see it!”  
“It is not mine kid. It’s S.H.I.E.L.D’s. And you don’t want Fury to see you as a kid if you want to be an Avenger sometime in the future.”  
“Yes, but it is soooo cool. Let me sneak in at night. No one will know.”  
“Chill kid. You will get your chance.”

He wanted to shake him awake now and ask him if it was as exciting as he imagined. He wanted to beg the kid to open his eyes and make everything ok. He tried but the kid didn’t wake up.

Tony felt weird and numb. From the moment they found Peter until now he felt dizzy and nauseated, but somehow he held it together. Now he knew he was a few steps away from collapse. Thankfully he was only a few steps away from the hover jet’s emergency area were a stretcher awaited. He lowered the kid very slowly and protectively on the gurney and then took a step back to let the doctors to their job.  
That’s when he realized there was something wrong with Peter. Blood was dripping in a constant flow from the kid’s right nostril. There was also a bleeding source somewhere on his head. He looked down at his hands and realized they were coated in blood.  
Sound was muted inside Tony’s head until then. He could hear the doctors speaking but he was so focused on carrying Peter to safety that he didn’t pay enough attention. Now it was getting clearer. It was Bucky’s voice he heard first. 

“There were many anticoagulant substances left on a counter next to where we found him. I think they must have administered some to him because a lot of the substances’ syringes were empty.”  
“Yes” Bruce said. “That explains the bleeding. The nose bleed must be caused by the removal of the NG tube and he did hit his head during the seizure.” While he was talking the rest of the med team were pressing gauzes on the bleeding sights for the hemorrhage to stop. Peter’s face was smeared in blood. Then Bruce looked at Peter like he was caught in a thought and came closer to the gurney. While he was doing so he met Tony’s eyes.  
Immediately he said, “Barnes, get Tony out of here, now!”

Bucky looked towards Tony and rushed next to him in a leap. He put his arms on Tony’s shoulders for support and pushed him slowly out of the room. Tony did not resist, but before they exited the room he saw Bruce undressing Peter on the gurney, revealing a pull of blood around the kid’s pubic region. He made the connection in his mind between Bucky saying that there were anticoagulants in Peter’s blood and Bruce removing a tube positioned there earlier.

He wanted to puke. Correction. He needed to puke right now. He left Bucky’s arms and bent over a corner where he emptied his stomach for a few minutes. Then Bucky lead him to another room and sat him on a chair. Tony’s vision was a little foggy and when it cleared he saw a much stressed Bucky standing over him offering him a glass of water. He took it gladly but after one or two sips he put it down cause he felt the nausea return. 

“It’s not as bad as it looks Stark. The kid is just out of it because of the drugs and some blood loss won’t affect him much. The important thing is, he is alive. We found him”  
“What do you think of the seizures?” Tony’s voice sounded wick even to him.  
“I am pretty sure they are caused by the reduction of the drugs Tony. It’s not good. It’s like he is deprived and he is seizing. But it will go away. Bruce will have him running in no time. How are you holding up?”  
“I don’t know.” Bucky tossed him a wet towel to clean his hands from the blood and five minutes later they landed in the compound. 

\-----------

The med team was the first to leave the jet. They rushed through the Med Bay doors rolling Peter’s stretcher and went straight to the operating rooms. Bruce explained Peter’s situation to Tony before he went in with the team and prohibited any Med Bay access until further notice.  
Then Tony saw May. She was running to the restricted Medical area until security caught her. She was screaming out of her mind to let her see her kid. 

Tony hugged her.  
She cried while he reassured her that Peter was ok. That they found him. That he was alive. He walked with her to the communal area and let her sit on the couch, then brought her a glass of juice. She was hyperventilating and crying for quite a while but now she looked calmer. She drunk a few sips and left the glass on the table with trembling hands.  
“Stark tell me what is going on” she cried. “Why did you rush him for surgery? Is my kid ok?”  
“Shhhhhh May all if fine. Peter will be fine. Bruce told me that they will keep him sedated for at least 24 hours. That is why they took him in there. Not because he needs surgery ok?”  
She nodded and then started sobbing again. She was a nurse after all and had seen a lot of patients intubated in heavy sedation in her career. That did not prepare anyone to see their kids in a similar condition though.  
“May please calm down. Peter is gonna be ok. We found him and he is gonna be ok. That’s the important thing.”  
“He is gonna be ok” she repeated.  
“Yes, now Bruce said he will call for us in a few hours to give us a full report on Peter’s condition. Until then he won’t let us see him. Pepper has prepared a room for you to stay here for as long as you need. Please go and try to sleep or take a bath and relax. We need to be ready for when Peter wakes up. He cannot she you like this May. He will be afraid he did something wrong. You know how he is.”  
She nodded again and took a lot of deep breaths to steady herself.  
Then she caught Tony in a hug.  
“Thank you for bringing him back.”

\--------------

Bucky was in charge of dealing with the hostages, along with Happy. When Iron Man and the Winter Soldier entered Oscorp without permission, the police and Oscorp’s security was notified. They both took some time to arrive at the scene, but when they did they found nine people in handcuffs. All of them unconscious. Six of them were dressed in black and carried guns. The other three wore lab coats and were all Oscorp employees. The room where Spiderman was held had been caught in an explosion that later none of the nine above would remember to explain. All the data that they collected from their experiments was unfortunately destroyed by said explosion, along with Spiderman’s identity. The head scientist, Edward Stone fled the scene before the police arrived and was now a wanted man. 

What the police and Oscorp didn’t know was that all that data rested in Tony Stark’s lab and Bucky was now going through them. What they also didn’t know was that Edward Stone was in the hands of S.H.I.E.L.D, never to see the sun of the day again. 

In a brief conversation that he had with Bucky before S.H.I.E.L.D took him away, he acted delirious.  
“I do not feel bad for what I did! Spiderman is my creation! It is mine!”  
Bucky was quick and managed a few hard kicks to the bitch’s ribs before the agents stopped him and took Stone away.

What the police also did not know, was the existence of a certain man, who was held in an interrogation room underneath the Avenger’s compound. His name was Daniel Wells. His future was uncertain.  
“Did they find the kid?” Wells asked the guard positioned in his room.  
The guard hesitated for a second.  
“They did.”  
“Is he alive?”  
The guard was puzzled. “Yes” he said. The hostage looked happy and relaxed after the news. He heard him mumble something along the lines of ‘thank God’. Damn he thought. Wasn’t he the one who attacked the kid in the first place?  
What was this man’s deal?


	9. Days and months

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So there is a two-day-skip in this chapter and we just see Peter. Obviously things have happened during that time and we will get to know them eventually.   
> I hope you enjoy the chapter and I always love the comments you leave.

He feels relaxed. And warm. The bed is comfy for sure, although there is this feeling that he needs to move because his body is stuck in the same position for hours. He turns on his other side. Hmmmm better.   
He tries to fall asleep again but is too awake now. He opens his eyes and can barely see anything. The lights are out. He reaches for his phone that he usually leaves at the nightstand next to his bed. There is nothing there though. He moves a little closer and tries again. He cannot find it. He cannot even touch the night stand. He opens his eyes and now his vision has somehow adjusted. 

Something is wrong with his hands in the first place. His skin kind of pulls weirdly around his wrists. After a closer inspection his eyes open wide. Yes they are both hurt in a way, but they are healing. With the lights so low he cannot see exactly what happened to them. And then there is this thing on his arm. That is definitely an IV. What? Why do I need a freaking IV? Then he looks around. And yes that is not his room. 

He sits up and a headache makes itself known. Ahhhhh. This is bad. Also there is a slight dizzy feeling. He stays sited for a few seconds to collect himself. Then his eyes land to his left. There is someone there. They look asleep. Actually it looks like…  
“May?”   
Oh using his voice was a very bad idea. His throat feels like someone cut it with knifes and then though acid in it. He coughs and coughs and his throat just burns more that way. The good thing is that now May is awake. And moments later the lights are on.   
Peter blinks a lot of times and looks around now able to see where he is, only to realize he has no idea where he is. May is by his side taping his back and handing him a glass of water. He drinks a few sips and instantly feels better. Then he looks at May terrified. 

“Where are we?”  
He takes short rapid breaths and the panic is obvious in his voice.   
“Peter you are awake.” May says and pulls him in a hug. Is she crying? Why is she crying what did I do?  
“Where are we?” he repeats even more panicked.   
“We are in the Med Bay of the Avengers Compound”. 

What? How did I get here? And the Med Bay? Well that explains the IV. Oh God I must have done something really bad. To end up here and upset May so much. It must be something really stupid. Mr. Stark is probably very very angry. I hope the suit is ok.   
May let’s go of him and pusses him back on the bed. He does not object because he does feel quite lightheaded but also he is not in any position to upset her more. Who knows what he did to make her cry like that in the first place.  
She sits on the chair next to the bed and presses a call button on the bed. Then she looks at him both relieved and scared. Ok he cannot stand this any longer.   
“What did I do?”   
“Nothing honey. Why would you think that? How do you feel?” she answers in an unreasonably sweet and calming voice.   
“No May, tell me what did I do?”  
“I told you Peter. You did nothing.”  
“Whatever it is that I did I am sorry.” He sits up again but this time the dizzy spell hits harder.   
“M sorry” he mumbles and falls back on the bed. May is probably so mad at him. He tries to say he is sorry again but he is too distracted by the black spots swimming in front of him. 

He doesn’t know how long he stayed like this but the next moment there is someone else calling his name.  
“Peter. Look at me, Peter.”  
And he does look at her. She is a nurse. May stands behind her. Her eyes are fixed on him and there are new tears that flow. Oh no.   
“I'm sorry” he says again.   
“Peter you will talk to your mom as much as you want, but first I need you to answer a few questions for me. Can you do that?”   
“She is my Aunt.”  
“Great. And she can stay here with us while you answer ok?”  
She was a black young woman and her voice was sweet and calm, but also showed authority at the same time. He knew he couldn’t win so he just said “Ok”

“Great. So Peter can you please tell me your full name?”  
“Peter Benjamin Parker”  
“And how old are you Peter?”   
“Sixteen”  
“I am Irene Brook. Nice to meet you. I am a nurse here. Do you know where we are?”  
“In the Avenger’s compound.”   
“Do you know where that is?”  
“Upstate New York”  
“And where do you live?”  
“In Queens” and then he added “How did I get here?”  
“We will get to that. For the time being you need to know that everyone that works here knows your little superhero secret. But no worries kid because we are all members of S.H.I.E.L.D and working with patients like you and keeping their secrets is what we do. So I need you to be completely honest with your answers ok? You don’t need to hide anything from us.”

Peter was terrified. No it was even worse. He did something so bad that not only did he end up in Med Bay but also S.H.I.E.L.D had to be involved. He upset May. Probably made Mr. Stark too mad. He must be somewhere trying to clean up the mess he created somehow. No matter how hard he tried to remember though nothing came to mind. What did he do? And how bad was it? That is all he wanted to know. Judging from May’s expression though, maybe he did not want to know.  
The nurse waited for him to say something. He was just too confused to answer so she continued with the questions.  
“Alright Peter. Let’s move to some harder questions. But I hear you are good in school so it will be easy for you. Can you tell me what is the capital of France?”  
“Paris”  
“How much is 25 times 25?”  
“625”  
“Great. Now Peter I want you to tell me what day it is.”  
“It’s” but wait. What day is it really? There is a fog in his mind. For a moment he was sure it was…. but then maybe it is…. He was probably taking too long, because the nurse interrupted his thoughts.  
“Ok the day can be hard I know. Let’s try something else. Do you know the year?”  
“2018”  
“Correct. And do you know the month we are currently in?”  
“I think its February…. Or maybe March? ”  
May gave him a very concerned look. He heard her whisper ‘Oh God’ and that caused a new wave of panic.  
“I am so sorry I don’t know but maybe if I think about it a bit more I’ll…” he also tried to sit up and get to May, but the nurse stopped him.  
“Peter please calm down. It is very normal to be a bit confused. I mean you just woke up. And you were very close anyway ok? It is currently April.”  
“How did I get here? What did I do?”  
“Peter you did nothing sweetheart.” Said May and then the door opened. 

Peter was always happy to see Bruce. Bruce was who he needed right now. Bruce would tell him what he wanted to know. He came in with a very serious expression, but once he saw Peter his face lit up.   
“Kid you are awake! Finally!” then he turned to the nurse and asked in a low voice “How do things look Irene? “  
“He seems quite chronically disoriented. I did not manage to ask more.”  
“That’s fine. May do you mind stepping out for a minute? You too Irene. I would like to have a talk with Peter, if that’s ok with him too.”  
Peter was more than ok. Bruce would tell him everything.  
Something Bruce had said puzzled him though. Finally. Why finally? How long was he out?   
Once they were alone Peter saw Bruce up close. He looked tired and anxious. Like he was fighting a Hulk-out for days and days. He watched him grab a sit and bring it next to his bed. After he sat down Peter could not wait.   
“I am here… for..for how long exactly?”  
Bruce sure took his time considering his answer.  
“I think it’s around two days”  
So something very stupid then. Never again was he out for that long. What had he done?  
“What did I do? How did I get here?”  
Bruce took his time again.  
“I don’t think this is the right time to have this conversation. Peter please relax and we will talk after I make sure you are fine.”  
“Where is Mr. Stark?”  
“He is not available at the time, but he will be here once you are better.”

Oh no. Mr. Stark didn’t even want to see him. Will he take his suit back? And May looked so afraid. Was she afraid of him? Did he hurt anyone? 

Damn why can I not remember? What is wrong with me?


	10. Stories not worth telling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I hope you are all doing great. I have to say that my schedule is going to be hectic from now on, cause I need to study if I wanna graduate Uni in 2 months...but no pressure.  
> This won't affect my writing and you will continue to have regular updates, I just need to say it just in case :)  
> Anyway I don't know how I feel about this chapter. In the next one we will see Daniel Wells again and maybe get one step closer to his story.  
> Always happy to read your comments!  
> Enjoy

Jonathan Black was a busy guy. But damn the last week came straight out of hell. Oh he loved his job. What he did not love about it were hysteric people. And a totally hysteric, out of his mind, missing his child Tony Stark was not what he signed up for. 

First Tony Stark called them about a missing kid. Then, when they asked him about said kid, he looks reluctant to share any information. After hours of interrogation he tells them that Peter Parker is his intern and nothing else. Then they ask for the SI agreement about that internship and guess what the kid is nowhere registered as an intern after all! Not only that, but SI does not do internships for years now. Then they find the kid’s Aunt and only guardian. Damn, she is now upstate after Tony Stark ‘wanted to protect her’. From what or who nobody seems to know. They call Stark again and he says May Parker is not available for the time being. Then Stark decides to piss the police department even more by dragging S.H.I.E.L.D into this. Now if Stark was an ass, S.H.I.E.L.D is the devil. They act like Gods. It’s like they own the place. They confiscate all the evidence and get access to the city cameras. They search for the kid as if it’s an Avenger that got missing and not just Tony Stark’s illegitimate son. 

Then Black’s schedule exploded. Reports came first from Oscorp, where apparently Ironman along with another unidentified individual broke in. Then people called in about gunshots in the building. One of S.H.I.E.L.D’s jets appears in the area without authorization and an explosion follows. Hours later the police learn that Spiderman was being help in the building. Under what circumstances or for what reason, they cannot know because S.H.I.E.L.D is already in agreement with Oscorp and no information comes out.  
They were so close to finding who Spiderman is. If not, then maybe just have a chance to talk to him. Assess whether he really is a threat to this city or not. But no. S.H.I.E.L.D had to play God again.  
So it’s safe to say, Jonathan Black was furious. He spent days on days, trying to find this kid when a much more significant situation concerning the city’s security walked right under his nose. 

After all that came the phone call. It was Saturday morning. Peter Parker was missing for four days now. And Black had to admit, that was a little too many days for a kid who just run away. They were doing the best trying to find him, but if the kid did not appear anytime soon, then the chances of finding him alive were close to zero based on other similar cases. Tony Stark might be a narcissistic bitch, but Black had to admit he did care for his kid. He called him several times a day asking for updates on the case. When they told him that they could not release any sensitive information due to the ongoing investigation, he hacked their systems and learned whatever they had anyway. But wouldn’t he do the same if he had the means and his kid went missing? Hell yeah he would. May Parker was not as talkative as Stark and she looked suspicious in the papers at first, when she stated that she didn’t know where her nephew went every other afternoon. But Black changed his mind once he saw her up close. She looked completely devastated. If one didn’t know that she and Peter had no blood relation, they could easily believe that she was the kid’s mother. After this brief meeting with her, Stark asked them to not upset her more due to her distress. It was the first time that he was polite. He even begged them before they agreed. 

Ok let’s go back to the phone call then. It was Saturday morning and Black’s cell phone rings. It’s Stark of course for the millionth time. He picks up.  
“Good morning Mr. Stark. I am afraid we have no further development on Peter Parker’s case. We..”  
“Hey there mate. Guess what? We won’t be needing your very helpful assistance anymore. It was nice working with you. I hope you have a nice day. Bye!”  
“Wait what? Stark are you ok?”  
“Yes, yes more than fine. The kid came back today. His pocket money was over and he needed a refill. So I guess more free time for you then.”  
“Oh that is good news! Did he say why he ran away after all? Is he ok?”  
“Well you know….kids… these days all they want is to party. He might have had his first experience with drugs too and hit some chicks. Who am I to judge right?”  
“Right. Well what time can he come into the police department then? You know to fill a few reports for the case to close?”  
“Weeeell, that can be kind of difficult to happen today…. See the kid partied so hard he barely remembers half of it. He came back and knocked himself out instantly. So maybe another day…”  
“No, this cannot wait Mr. Stark. I will be there as soon as possible. I’ll have a few words with Peter and then we can hope to never see or hear from each other again.”  
Tony started to object but Black ended the call. Of course the kid was away having fun. If he inherited anything from his father he would be a troublesome brat at his best. So much for Stark believing this kid was an angel. With the money that SI probably paid the school, sure he is gonna be a straight-A student. He just cursed for the time and effort they spent on another lost cause. 

\-----------------

Black arrives at the Avenger’s compound 2 hours later. He is happy this ends today and he is even determined to knock some sense into this kid if possible. A man named Happy who is apparently Stark’s bodyguard waited for him at the entrance. He interrogated the guy a few days prior but he didn’t seem to have any information. Now he looked a lot less tense, probably because the kid returned. He led him inside towards an area that looked a lot like a hospital.  
“Is the kid alright?”  
“Yes, yes he was just a little dehydrated and his doctor kept him in just in case.”  
This med-place was fully equipped. Probably served as the Avenger’s Med Bay. Of course the kid was treated like a royal. He was Stark’s son after all. He was lead towards a private room that looked more like a hotel. When they entered first he saw the kid. Sure he was Peter Parker. Looking exactly like his school picture, only not quite. He was a lot thinner and way more tired. Also the kid looked anxious and one could even say afraid. Though that was to be expected. He left and came back four days later. Nobody is particularly happy and pleased with him at the moment. Next to him seated on a chair is his Aunt. She looks tired too, but also relieved. On the other side of the room stands a man, dressed in a white coat. The doctor then. He is the first to leave the room. Then May follows.  
“I am glad your nephew is back Mrs. Parker” he said before she left, but she did not reply.

Then the door behind him closed and they were alone. Just him and Peter. The kid didn’t say anything. Just looked at him confused and afraid, like he just realized how royally he screwed up with his stunt. He takes the seat next to his bed.

“So, Peter. You realize what you did caused your guardians and our police department a lot of trouble.” It was not a question, but rather a statement. The kid nodded.  
“Don’t just move your head, kid. I wanna hear your voice. Do you realize that?”  
“Yes, sir I do.” He sounded hoarse and defeated. It looked like he started to regret what he did after all. Good.  
“Then tell me the story. It must be a story worth telling if it made you disappear for four days.”  
The kid looked embarrassed. “It’s not that good of a story, sir.”  
“Well. Doesn’t matter. I ain’t leaving without hearing it and we don’t have all day.”  
“Ok. I guess it started with me and my friend. We had a fight before school on Tuesday.”  
“Which friend kid?”  
“Ned Leeds”  
“I know him, we spoke. He said nothing of sorts.”  
“Yes. He was mad at me after all.”  
“Why?”  
“Because I made out with the girl that he liked. Michelle Jones. We call her MJ.”  
“Just like your father then” he whispered.  
“What do you mean Mr. Black?”  
“Irrelevant. Go on kid. So you fought. I am guessing he hit you, then you run away right?” Peter nodded. “Where do you go after that?”  
“I just went around the city and… and that night me and MJ went to this party.”  
“What party?”  
“One of her friends from her neighborhood had a party and I went with her.” He stopped for a minute and took a deep breath, thinking of what to say next. “Well in this party you know…. there was alcohol… and I can’t… I can’t handle it well. Then I, I met this other girl and went to her place and…. And MJ saw us and got mad…and….” Peter stopped talking and took several deep breaths. He looked even more anxious than before. Sweat dripped down his face and his hands were shaking slightly. He started to blink and looked around the room with unease. Black stood up. He had seen this several times. He leaned over Peter.

“Look at me Peter” he said and the kid looked him in the eyes. Damn his pupils were dilated. He should have seen this earlier.  
“Are you doing drugs Peter?” The kid looked terrified. His breaths came even more anxious.  
“Tell me Peter, it’s ok. It’s ok. Are you doing drugs? Is that why you left kid?”  
“Yes” he whispered and it was barely audible. 

After that Black left and a few minutes later Bruce and May came in. Peter’s hands trembled even more than before. Bruce injected something in the IV that helped him relax.  
Peter looked up at them and mumbled slowly.  
“I did… what ..you, you asked..me to. Now, now…you tell me… the truth.”  
Bruce and May looked at him with unease.  
“Peter this is not the time yet—”  
“Don’t …care. What… did I do? Where ….where is … Tony?”  
He fell asleep.

\-----------------

He dreamed of a face. But he could not see it. He just needed to remember. It was essential that he remembered that face. Why? No idea. When he woke up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat, that thought was killing him. What’s up with that man’s face? It cannot be random. Why can’t he recall anything from the past two weeks? He was missing for four days but he’s got memory lapses over fourteen days. Seriously what happened and why won’t anyone tell him.  
May is asleep next to him.  
He feels bad when he stands up and pulls his IV, but he cannot stand it anymore. 

He needs answers and if they don’t provide them he will find them himself.  
He is Spiderman after all.


	11. It's him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! It took me a while but I am back :) I hope you like the turn of events in this chapter. This was my first idea and based on it I built the whole story. Again sorry if it takes me sometime until the next update, but I have a lot of studying to do.   
> Your comments are always appresiated!   
> Enjoy!

“F.R.I.D.A.Y?”  
“Yes Mr. Parker”  
“Where is Mr. Stark right now?”  
“He is residing currently one floor down in the Interrogation Room, sir. I should also advise you to return to your room Mr. Parker, otherwise I have to inform my Boss.”  
“Yes yes” said Peter. He had just exited the Med Bay area and was heading to wherever Mr. Stark was, when something caught his eye. On the opposite side of the Med Bay was the conference room. Usually at a time like this; not that Peter knew exactly what the time was, it was dark outside so he assumed late at night; it should be empty. Well it wasn’t. And inside, surprise surprise, was the one and only. 

“The Winter Soldier” whispered Peter talking to himself.   
“F.R.I.D.A.Y I am guessing you are not allowed to tell me what happened the past four days right?”  
“Yes sir. Boss informed me that it is not advised you learned from me. But he is willing to talk to you about it once you feel better.”  
“And what is the Winter Soldier doing here Fri?”  
“I cannot tell you sir, but I can assure you he does not oppose any threat.”  
“Well I want to go to my room and grab my books to study a bit, cause I am bored. Can you just not tell Mr. Stark about it? I mean it’s not important after all and I feel fine.”  
“As long as you return back to the Med Bay I won’t inform anyone.”  
“Thanks Fri.”   
Peter ducked so that the Winter Soldier could not see him through the glass wall of the conference room and he slowly reached the elevator. Minutes later he was on his room’s floor.   
“Is anybody here now Fri?” he asked before he headed to his room.  
“Nobody is currently on this floor sir”.  
He relaxed and walked casually to his room. Once inside he closed the door and grabbed his laptop.   
“Where did I save this assignment” he mumbled while typing on his laptop and then “Yeah here it is. Sorry Fri I will get you back to normal once I find what I am looking for” and before F.R.I.D.A.Y sent any alerts he pressed enter.   
“Fri?” he asked, but he got no answer. “Please don’t be mad at me I just muted you and I disabled your notification protocol so that you cannot tell Mr. Stark what I am doing.”  
Then he turned to search his room. 

“Now where did I put my web shooters?”

\------------

Bucky was tired. After they retrieved Parker he had to first find out what exactly Stone’s people had done. This way they knew what to expect from the kid’s condition. And it did not paint a nice picture. Stone had done a number on the kid. It was strange how he managed to be in such a good state only 2 days later. Obviously Parker had one hell of a healing factor.   
Unfortunately that was something the scientist wanted to check too.  
In the files in front of him there were pictures of the kid that he tried not to look at. There was a lot of information about his blood. Apparently they took quite the amount. When blood was not enough they even took spinal fluid for God’s sake.   
And then they started testing drugs. Pages and pages of various substances and their results on the kid. Then more blood and more spinal fluid. It was disturbing at the best.   
When he reached the part where Parker’s liver and kidneys were affected and even they had to stop testing, he always felt like hitting something. Too bad Tony was the one taking the pleasure of hitting certain individuals. Fury let him visit Stone the day before and when he came back he looked a bit better. Bucky did not know a lot of details about what happened, other than the fact that Stone ended up in the hospital and Fury had to personally interfere before Stark killed him.

After that they slept for a while knowing that the kid was in good hands and out of danger. Work though couldn’t wait for long.  
This morning Bucky returned to filing the tests performed on the kid, on one of Tony’s personal data bases just in case they proved themselves useful in a medical emergency in the future, since they knew nothing about Parker’s biology apparently and he tended to get in trouble often.   
Bucky had to admit he felt bad for the kid. He heard the news about how he woke up confused and disoriented and how he remembered nothing at all. 

Tony and Bruce had a conversation at some point about the best way to break the news to him. He did not know what was decided, but it would have to wait since Parker still   
wasn’t entirely clean of the drugs.   
After hours of studying and filing he needed a coffee. He left the room for 2 to 3 minutes max.   
When he returned the files were gone. 

“F.R.I.D.A.Y. who took my files?” he asked and took a defensive stance ready to fight if needed, but no one answered.   
“F.R.I.D.A.Y?” he asked again. Still nothing. Damn they were compromised somehow.   
“Peter!”   
He run to the med bay like crazy calling for Bruce who heard him and rushed to Peter’s room at the same time with Bucky.   
They enter and find an empty bed and a freshly waken up May.   
“What happened, where is Peter?” she asked franticly.   
“I don’t know” said Bucky “but F.R.I.D.A.Y is down and Stone’s files are missing.”  
Before he finished though there was a sound of a door closing. Their door closing. They were locked in the room and to their surprise Peter was standing right outside looking a bit out of breath.  
“Peter you are not ok yet. Please come back to bed” said Bruce in a calming voice not to startle the kid. But Peter looked back at him with a playful grin and said “I don’t know about that Mr. Banner. I think I will have a talk with Tony first. Oh and good luck with opening the door. Now that F.R.I.D.A.Y.is down the only way to open it is manually.”   
Bucky was not as calm as Bruce though. He put all his weight on his metal arm and pushed. Nothing happened.   
“Oh, I forgot to tell you. These doors are enhanced so it’s gonna take you a while even with a metal arm. Nice to see you again by the way. We did not properly introduce last time, so hi! I am Peter”.  
If looks could kill, then the look that Bucky was giving Peter was definitely one of them, but the kid looked unapologetic.   
“Sorry May” he said and then he left them.

“So much for breaking the news nicely” said May and fell back on the chair.  
“Let’s just hope Tony moved the other guy from downstairs” whispered Bruce and pretended he didn’t see May’s tears. 

\-------------------------

Peter was halfway through the stairs when he opened the file.   
He wished he hadn’t done it. He almost lost his balance and held himself steady at the last minute. 

These were pictures of him. Pictures of him wearing close to nothing, strapped on a weird bed and was this a tube coming out of his nose? He bent over and dry heaved. There was nothing in his stomach to come up anyway. He doesn’t know how much time it took him to collect himself. But now he shivered all over. There were not only pictures in the file but also test reports. Test reports on him.   
The first one went on and on about his blood and its properties and about how much blood could be extracted from him before he started to show signs of shock. He dropped the file and retched again.   
What the hell was this? Who? How? What? He was definitely going to have a panic attack. He already felt dizzy.  
‘Deep breaths Peter he said to himself, deep breaths. You have to find Tony.’  
He had to find Tony. He stumbled to the Interrogation Room with great effort, while mumbling things like ‘find Tony’ and ‘deep breaths Parker’.

He was right in front of it and voices could be heard from inside.   
Peter tried to concentrate and listen.  
Where those chocking sounds?  
He took one step closer.  
Oh my God yes they definitely were chocking sounds.

For a moment all his distress was forgotten. He opened the Interrogation Room’s door and rushed inside, only to see the infamous Tony Stark strangling another man on the floor.  
“Mr. Stark what the hell are you doing?” he shouted and fell on top of him to stop him. Tony looked surprised for only a second, but then resumed his attempt in chocking the guy to death. Peter had to use his enhanced strength to separate the two and when he finally managed Tony looked disappointed that he did not finish the job before Peter came and the other guy…..  
The other guy…..

The face. 

His face. 

He should be the one struggling to breath, but Peter was suddenly the one not breathing. He felt his body tilting to the side and would have hit the floor if Tony wasn’t right by his side to catch him.  
“Kid!” Tony was saying and Peter felt himself being dragged out of the room.   
But he didn’t care one bit.  
“You” he said and tried to go back inside the room to confront the guy. He was still dizzy though and Tony managed to overpower him. He felt Tony guide him to another security room nearby and sit him on a chair.   
His breaths were short and not enough. Again he didn’t care. He was whispering incoherent stuff along the lines of  
‘Why is he here?’  
‘Is it really him?’  
‘It’s him’   
‘It’s him’ 

Someone slapped his chick. He raised his head. It was Tony and he looked afraid watching his reaction.  
“Peter!” he heard him say. Was he calling him this whole time?  
“It’s him” said Peter, but Tony still looked as if Peter had lost his mind.  
“It’s him Mr. Stark”. Peter realized that his whole body was shaking and Tony was the one practically holding him upright on the chair.  
“Who is he kid?” but Peter looked like he was about to pass out.

“Calm down kid. Tell me who he is.”

Peter whispered “He is the mugger. He killed Ben”.


	12. I can do this all day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am soooo sorry for the delay! I have too many subjects to study for and a chapter takes too long to write sometimes. There are 1 or 2 more chapters to this story and I will do my best to finish it this weekend.   
> Thank you for the supportive comments and for keeping up with the story!  
> I will for sure write more Peter and Tony stories after this one!  
> Also about IW... I will watch it tomorrow...   
> I did the mistake of reading almost all the spoilers on reddit and now I feel that I shouldn't have.  
> I'll tell you how I found it in the next chapter!  
> Till then enjoy :)

Peter and Tony were still in that small security room half an hour later. 

The kid was a bit more relaxed. Tony could still hear his rapid breathing but the stress of the day was so much that he couldn’t expect any better. He wasn’t calmer either and Pete needed to know the truth so he had to keep it together. But that last turn of events was sooo unexpected. 

‘It’s him’ the kid had said. ‘He is the mugger. He killed Ben’.

That was what the bastard wasn’t telling him. Damn. 

When Tony found Peter, after that guy Daniel Wells gave them the location, Tony’s first wish was for the kid to be ok. He had his entire med team and Bruce check him over and after they reassured him that he would be ok he breathed for the first time in days. It was not the first time that the kid got injured. It certainly wouldn’t be the last. It was never this bad though and all the other times Tony had the kid to blame in a way. His heroic ways and how he always got into trouble by not listening to him. This time though. This time was something else. Peter even tried to warn them that something was going on and they did pay attention. Happy did tell the kid to meet with Tony about it. He was just not fast enough.   
There was also this constant feeling of drowning in pure uselessness. If Tony wanted to be honest with himself, he had indeed been useless. The kid asked for help and not only were they not fast enough, they also couldn’t do shit about it. No matter the hours and the money Tony invested in the investigation, Peter was not found. It was one of those moments in the great Tony Stark’s life when he realized once again that money cannot buy you anything after all. He felt exactly the way he felt when he thought he lost Pepper years ago. 

And just when he asked for a miracle….Daniel Wells happened. A seemingly random guy who appeared at their doorstep out of nowhere, to give them the divine move??

So the first 24 hours after Pete was retrieved Tony was too stressed about the kid’s state to talk to the guy. Deep inside he did not want to talk to him. He did not know how to feel about him. He was one of the people who hurt his kid, but he was also the one who saved him. He didn’t want to admit it but without this Daniel Wells, Peter might have never been found. Peter might be dead for all he knew. Bucky said after all, that inside Edward Stone’s files were also plans for future dissections… Damn…They were lucky they got to the kid so early.  
And then he went to talk to Wells. He was living in a holding cell in the basement of the facility next to the interrogation and security rooms, under 24 hour supervision.   
The corridor leading to the cell was poorly lit and a guard was seated in front of the door. 

“Good morning Mr. Stark. Would you like me to open the door?”  
“Yes please. And no matter what you hear in there you do not interfere unless I tell you to. Understood?”  
“Understood sir” and he unlocked the door.

The reaction that he got from Wells was not the one he expected. Wells looked uneasy and afraid, but not for himself. Tony didn’t want to accept it at first, but there was no other explanation to it. Either he was a damn good liar, or he really felt for the kid. 

“Is Parker ok?” he said in a broken voice.  
Tony didn’t answer. He just sat on the chair opposite to him and stared in the man’s eyes for several minutes. Wells never averted his eyes, a look of pure concern permanently painted on his features.  
“They hurt him. They experimented on him. Did you know he is just 16?”  
“I know. That’s why I came to you. I couldn’t do it.”  
“But you did it. You hurt my kid.”  
“I guess you are right. I never said I wasn’t guilty.”  
“Why did you come here? Why not the police? Why surrender?”  
“I don’t think the kid would like for everyone to know his identity”

Before he even finished a punch landed on his jaw.   
Tony Stark’s voice echoed in his ears although it was just a whisper.  
“And did you think the kid would like to be cut open?”   
The pain was too much but he regained his composure. “Did they really do that?” 

“YOU DARE ASK ME NOW? DID THAT EVEN MATTER WHEN YOU DRUGGED AND HIT HIM? DID THAT MATTER WHEN YOU TOOK YOUR SWEET MONEY?” Then he felt a second punch this time in his gut and doubled over the pain struggling to breath.

“I didn’t drug or hit him. It was my partner who did. I was there though.” He stopped to take a breath and cough while Stark stood over him ready to deliver another hit anytime. “I helped so I am guilty. But I couldn’t live knowing what I had done.”  
“Oh you couldn’t live now huh?” Tony opened a file with stolen police reports F.R.I.D.A.Y required for him. “Then Mr. Daniel Wells, would you mind answering why you managed to live after stabbing 4 individuals on 3 different occasions?”  
Wells looked surprised that Stark had this information, but then again he knew what he had done in the past and it was time to own up to it. 

“I did way worse than what is written in this file Stark. But I could not hurt a kid…... Not again.”  
Tony waited for him to continue, but Wells shied. “Continue…”  
“Stark look. The story is I once did something really bad. Like real bad. I took someone’s life alright? And then… I learned he had a kid.” The topic was definitely making him uncomfortable, but Tony wanted to hear the whole story, so he waited again for the other guy to continue.  
“And… and the look on that kid’s face will haunt me forever.” More silence. Stark again sat opposite of him waiting in patience.  
“See I have a kid too. A daughter. She is 9. Her mother died 5 years ago. I had a gob and then I lost it. I had to raise her on my own” his eyes locked with Stark’s. “My daughter is sick Stark. Leukemia. Same thing her mother had. I needed the money. I mugged people, then robbed a couple of places. I felt that I had no choice. And to be honest maybe I didn’t have another choice. And then that night things got so fucked up and a guy ends up dead.”

Tony is looking at Wells not knowing what to think again. He is mad at him. He wants to beat him to death. Now he feels for him. The guy continues.  
“You know what’s worse Stark?..... When I killed him I didn’t feel a thing. And then I looked into his son’s eyes and that moment I realized what a beast I had become. It was my wakeup call in a way. I ran away from the scene. I stayed out of trouble for as long as possible……. Then my kid got worse.” 

Wells rested his head on the palms of his hands taking deep breaths. When he looked up again his eyes were red.   
“I came here because I deserve every punishment. I did the job because I had no other choice and I guess I never learn, do I? I took the money and I left my daughter in trusted hands. I do not deserve her Stark.”  
“See Wells, so far so good, but…there is something you are not telling me.” The man looked down averting Stark’s gaze. Oh yes. He was hiding something.   
“Is the kid ok? I want to talk to Parker. I want to apologiz---” 

This time the punch hit his left chick. He spitted blood on the floor.  
“YOU ARE NOT GOING NEAR THE KID AGAIN! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?”

Cough. “I need to talk to him. He has to understand why –” another punch.

“Wells, I can do this all day….”

\---------------

Today Tony wonders why this story with the mugging gone wrong and the man dead in front of his son didn’t ring a bell. Maybe because Peter was not exactly Ben’s son. Maybe because when he searched for Peter’s background and found out about it, the story was so sad he subconsciously pushed it back.

This is how the conversation continued for the rest of the day. With Wells requesting to talk only to Peter and Tony releasing his anger on him. 

They took a break when he heard that Peter woke up. 

He couldn’t visit him in this state though. He didn’t need to stress the kid more. He had to deal with that prick too. John Black the police officer. Tony, Bucky and Bruce made up this cover story that they instructed Peter to say. They made a few calls to some of his friends beforehands, so that their stories would match too. He hated himself for letting Peter wake up not knowing what happened and a few hours later forcing him to lie to a police officer. He wanted to be there next to him, but if he did he wouldn’t be able to let the kid suffer this way. Letting his secret identity be revealed though, might be way worse.   
Who was he kidding? Everything was fucked up. He was just making some desperate moves to save what could be saved? Peter’s well being was the only thing that mattered. Secret identity be damned. He would still find ways to protect him.   
He did all that hoping that Pete would walk away from this unharmed. The kid would wake up, tell Black a silly story and then Tony would arrive to say what really happened. He would sugarcoat everything of course. Then Peter would feel guilty for making them worry. End of story. No Edward Stone and his radioactive lab spiders. No experimentation. No Daniel Wells.   
Well Tony was not only useless, but also a fool after all. A fool for believing that Peter would let it go just like that, or that he would lie while keeping a straight face in front of a police officer. The kid was too pure for this shit. He was also a fool for not killing Daniel Wells after finding Peter. This way he would never get to see the kid so broken. 

‘It’s him. He is the mugger. He killed Ben’

Now the kid would never walk away from this just like that. 

It took Tony around 45 minutes to get Peter to breath normally. During this time he took back full control of F.R.I.D.A.Y and released Bruce, Bucky and May. He immediately sent a message to Bruce to come downstairs and help calm Peter down. In his panicked state, Peter insisted for May to stay upstairs. He didn’t want her to confront the person who killed her husband and Tony couldn’t blame him for that. So Bucky stayed with May telling her that Peter was ok and that he just wanted to talk alone with Tony about what happened. Happy repositioned Wells in a different room far away from Peter, so that the kid didn’t have to see him again when leaving this place. 

“You feel better Peter?” Tony asked and placed his arm over the kid’s shoulders.  
“A bit” said Peter in a broken voice. “Mr. Stark I didn’t want to react like that, but—”  
“Shhh kid you have every right to freak out ok? But now you need to work with us. Will you work with us?” he said and pushed him more into a hug.  
“Sure… whatever” he sounded defeated but he needed to learn the truth.   
“Then will you now let Bruce give you the injection?”

Peter’s whole body was shaking from the shock, but Tony knew it was also from drug deprivation. When they found him they realized that Edward Stone had overdosed the kid many times due to his metabolism, with an addictive cocktail of opiates and paralytics. Deprivation was a bitch causing the kid seizures, memory lapses and a constant anxiety, but it was getting better. Peter was kept under for the worse part and now they had to administer a very small dose of the same cocktail every few hours until he wouldn’t need it anymore in a day or two.

“What is the injection for?”  
“I promise I will tell you after you agree to take it.”

Peter didn’t answer.  
“Do you trust me kid?”

It took a few minutes and a lot of deep breaths, but Peter finally answered.  
“Yes”


	13. A brave decision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!   
> I hope you are doing ok. I am studying all day long :(  
> I saw Infinity War and OMG my heart broke.  
> I am still in denial about everything that happened.  
> I hope you enjoy the new chapter and please leave your comments to tell me how you found it!  
> Enjoy :)

Peter trusted Tony with his life.   
Now though, things were different.   
He was afraid.   
Seriously what was going on? 

Bruce came closer holding the syringe and he flinched when the disinfectant touched his skin. He locked his eyes on the needle dreading the moment it would puncture his skin. Tony must have noticed because seconds later he was right next to him.   
“Hey Pete” he said “Look at me. It’s ok, you can hold my hand” and Peter did without second thoughts.   
Then he felt the pinch and shrugged cause the substance slowly made his arm fall asleep. He didn’t register Bruce walking away. When did he pull out the needle? Numbness was spreading all over his body.

“I feel funny” he said.   
“Yeah kid, I know. Just relax let it do its trick and you will feel better in a while.”  
“Will I start seeing green dragons flying in the room Mr. Stark?”  
“No Pete it will just relax you a bit. Do you wonna move to the couch? It’s comfier there.”  
Peter realized he was really trying hard to stay upright on the chair on his own so he agreed. With Tony on his left and Bruce on his right he reached it easily. They helped him sit with his back on the armrest and his legs spread on the couch, but since he isn’t that tall there still was enough space for Bruce to sit on the other edge. Tony went to the next room and came back with a blanket which he laid over Peter and then took a chair and brought it closer to him.  
“Better?” he asked.  
“Sure” answered Peter. For a moment he looked Tony straight in the eyes and then he quickly averted his gaze and focused on nothing particular on the other side of the small room.

“Do you want to know what happened?” asked Tony.  
“Are you really going to tell me this time?” Tony looked at Bruce who gave him an approving nod.   
“If you wonna know kid, then yes. Although I wish didn’t have to.”   
Peter then looked at Tony again. He now noticed that Tony looked tired and surprisingly older than usual. There were dark circles under his eyes and his entire posture seemed to be…sad. 

“Are you ok Mr. Stark?”   
“What now kid?”  
“I asked you if you are ok. You don’t look so good.” Peter’s voice was painted with pure concern, but to Tony it still sounded defeated and he didn’t like it.   
“I am perfect kid, now that you are here and I know that you’ll be fine.” He gave a tired smile, but Peter knew was not genuine.   
“Ok then. Can you please at last tell me what happened? I mean please. I need to know something. Whatever the hell you gave me does a great job to keep me calm, but I am not sure I can keep my cool for long…… after…..you know…..after all this. So what did I do this time? What happened on the next episode of Peter screws the pooch? And I know I screw it big time.”

Tony looked concerned and stunned.   
He put his hand on Peter’s shoulder and said.

“Kid you don’t know how much I wish you fucked everything up. Only this time it was so much worse.”  
And he started to explain what happened. 

He told him about the phone call to Happy and how he fell into this ‘ambush’.  
“I mean it makes sense” said Peter. “I don’t remember anything, which is quite scary, but if I saw …you know….if I saw….him on a street all of a sudden I can understand how they managed to capture me. I must have been too shocked to defend myself and if as you said he had an accomplish then it would be easy to knock me out with drugs.”  
“Kid I am sorry for not making it in time. I flew there as fast as I could but it was too late.”  
“I…I guess it’s ok. I mean you couldn’t have done anything else to be honest. But why? I mean why did they …. attack me?”

Tony knew that Peter fought hard to keep a straight face, but now and then his voice would break or he would take some time to answer. And who could blame him? It was no more than 2 hours ago when he met face to face with his Uncle’s killer and now they explained to him how he played a major role in his kidnapping.   
“Before I tell you kiddo, I want to know how you’re holding up. We can take a break if you need it.”

Well what did Tony expect Peter to say? Yes I feel great? He felt terrible and on the verge of yet another panic attack, but it was true, he trusted Tony and this had to be over. He knew he couldn’t take it for much longer.  
“I am not gonna have another fit if that’s what you are asking. To be honest I don’t know how I feel. It’s like I can’t feel a thing. I need to know though so please tell me.”  
So Tony told him the truth. Or at least the sugarcoated truth. He told him about Edward Stone. How he was the one to create the radioactive spiders and how he slowly became psychotic, after the lost spider incident that was the reason he would eventually lose his job and reputation.

When he reached the experimentation part he saw Peter’s uneasiness and stopped. Peter was pale and was breathing harder than before. He realized what was going to happen so he reached for the trashcan and shoved it in front of the kid’s face before he started retching; not that he had any food inside him. After a few minutes it stopped and Peter lied down a bit more on the couch. The dry heaving must have taken a lot out of him, cause the kid’s colour didn’t look like it was returning anytime soon. 

“I know” said Peter. “I saw a few things on the files I stole from the Winter Soldier. It was…..see I don’t think…..I am not sure I want to know Mr. Stark.”   
“Right. Right” Tony felt sooo much lighter. He didn’t want the kid to know either, but if he asked he had to tell him the truth. He deserved to know. In all honesty though he didn’t wonna have to relive everything. How they found him unresponsive and hooked to numerous machines. How he was seizing from drug deprivation and hypothermia. No no no these where images that Tony wanted to burn out of his head. The kid didn’t need to know.   
The terrifying thoughts where disturbed by a question. 

“So, Mr. Stark, how did you find me? And why is the Winter Soldier here?”  
Tony looked reluctant to answer and even more sad than before.   
“I am sorry kid. We didn’t find you.”

“What? Then how am I here?”  
“Well we did our best. I had my team searching everywhere. The police guy you met, John Black, he also did a good job, although I did annoy him constantly and stole every info of his investigation and he probably hates me right now. Oh and he thinks you are my son.”

“Again what? Mr. Stark this doesn’t answer the question. How am I here?”  
“Kid I know it’s gonna sound crazy. But as much as I hate it, Daniel Wells was the one to save you.”  
Silence. Peter blinked a few times. Looked at Bruce, then back at Tony then rested his eyes on the opposite wall. Tony was ready to ask if he was ok but Peter was quicker.

“What the fuck? Like…like what the actual fuck!”  
“Peter I know—”  
“Like what the actual fuck though!”  
He rested his head in his palms and stayed like that for a while trying to comprehend what he just heard and also calm down a bit cause his chest started to hurt again every time he breathed.   
Tony and Bruce remained silent for a bit. Then Peter felt Tony pulling him into a hug and rubbing his back. 

“Did you talk to him? I mean before you strangled him and everything?”  
Tony gave him a squeeze before breaking the hug and he grinned before he said “I did.”  
“And?”  
“He said a lot of things. He said that he did it because his daughter is sick…. And that is true by the way. I checked. And then he said that he did something a little while ago that….that it made him want to stop. And he tried to stop but he desperately needed the money. Kid I am sorry I should have guessed he was talking about you. I should have known. But at the time it didn’t ring a bell and then he refused to say anything else.”  
Tony examined the kid, but got nothing. He still looked defeated. 

“He knew who you were. He said he wanted to talk to you.”  
Peter’s body convulsed a bit but the kid acted like it didn’t happen. He still said nothing.

“I won’t let him near you Peter.”  
Then he stood up.  
“I swear I am gonna kill the bastard with my own hands. I am gonna—”

“I want to be alone.”  
Bruce was silent throughout the conversation, but now he asked concerned.   
“Are you sure Peter?”  
“I want to be alone” he said again.

Bruce looked at Tony who obviously didn’t want to leave the kid alone in a room after all this.   
“Tony let’s leave him for a while ok? Peter do you mind if we stay outside the door in case you need us?”  
“I don’t mind.”  
“Ok Tony let’s go. Will you tell us if you need anything? You promise?”  
“I promise” he said and they left.

\---------------------

For a few minutes Peter did indeed stay in the room. He listened to the silence.   
Mr. Stark was so right when he said he wished Peter had fucked up. Peter wished that too.   
He pushed all his thoughts aside and pulled a very small devise from his pocket. It was an earpiece. He put it in his ear and pressed a small button on its surface.

“Karen, are you there?”  
“Hello Peter.”  
“I need your help.”  
“I am always happy to help you Peter.”  
“Do you have information about a scientist named Edward Stone?”  
“Yes. He is currently held in medical facility under S.H.I.E.L.D’s jurisdiction.”  
“Medical facility? Why?”  
“There was an attack against his life 2 days ago, while he was in custody. He is in critical condition. There is no evidence about who attacked him, but it looks like Mr. Stark was in the facility at the time.”

Peter took a deep breath. He didn’t need any evidence. It was obvious that Mr. Stark was the one who did it. Then he made a decision. One that he never thought he’d make.  
“I need you to find where a certain hostage named Daniel Wells is kept in the Avengers facility”.  
“I should advise against that Peter.”  
“Please Karen….I need to do this. Please.”

A small pause and then Karen replied.   
“He was moved approximately 3 hours ago to a new location. There is a secure room on the third floor of the facility.”  
“How can I access it without raising any alarms?”  
“You can scale the wall. It’s the forth window from the left.”  
“Thank you Karen. You are a life saver.”

He opened the window and felt the light breeze wind his hair.


	14. Time to face the music

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!   
> Once again I am so sorry for the delay :(  
> The next chapter will probably be the last one but it's gonna be big!  
> Thank you for sticking with the story so far. All your comments gave me courage to continue writing even though English is not my native language and I know I make a lot of mistakes.  
> I hope you like this chapter and I hope you will like the next one too!  
> Enjoy!

Scaling a wall while drugged wasn’t easy. This must be why they advise you not to drink and drive too, is what Peter thought. Also the fact that he would meet Ben’s killer didn’t help. His heart was definitely beating faster than normal and once he was out of the window he had second thoughts. But it had to be done now, there was no going back. After a few minutes of internal fight and physical exhaustion he finally reached the right window and pushed it to open. Once his feet touched the floor his body was crashing. Maybe he shouldn’t be exerting himself that much. Thank God for the chair that was a few steps away. He sat down and closed his eyes taking a few breaths to collect himself. 

“Thank God you are all right!”   
Peter raised his head and met the eyes of Daniel Wells.   
The man was sitting on a bed next to the opposite wall. He looked frightened and relieved. For a moment Peter lost his composure. What the fuck was he thinking by coming here? What did he expect? 

This scene played in his head a million times during the last year. How he would find the mugger and face him as Spiderman. How he would beat him to death. How he would make him beg for his life. In all these thoughts he was angry. Now, he was just tired. His body was trembling. Every single muscle protested. And he had no more anger in him. Just acceptance and sadness. He was right for coming here after all. 

Beating Ben’s killer to death wouldn’t change the facts. Ben was not coming back, whether he avenged him or not. 

He stayed seated on the chair and looked at the guy. He looked awful. His clothes were dirty and there were many lacerations on his face and hands. At least these he could see, but there would definitely be more. A huge bruise in the shape of hands was forming around his neck. A gift from Tony Stark.   
“Mr. Stark told me you wanted to talk to me.”  
“Yes I guess I wan—”  
“But I am not sure I want to talk to you” Peter said.

The man looked like he understood Peter’s place, but he still had things to say so he continued.  
“Look kid—”  
“Don’t call me that!” Only Ben, May and Tony called him that, and hearing him say it made him feel disgusted.   
“Ok I won’t. I know I have no right to talk to you or expect anything from you. And I know my position is not ideal. I mean Stark made that quite clear. I just …. I guess I just wanted to apologize for what I did.”

“Apologizing won’t solve anything.” Damn why was he crying? He said he wouldn’t cry in front of him but for some reason his eyes would not obey. Damn. He was so tired.  
“I know that’s why I won’t ask for anything. I deserve to go to jail. I deserve for Stark to kill me. To be honest I would do the same. And I hear you are Spiderman so…. I guess you could do more harm to me than Stark can….so…. I guess I won’t fight back. That’s why I am here. Even I disgusted myself after what I did. I don’t think I want to live like this anymore.”

Peter froze. This was not what he expected. He felt out of place and everything was out of hand. He hated what he was doing. He wished they left him back in Oscorp. He wished for the millionth time for this guy to not exist. But the facts would stay facts no matter what he did. Ben was not coming back. Ben would never come back. And he had made a decision. 

This was his chance to face the killer. Many people in similar situations would say that he was so lucky to have such a chance. They would trade anything to avenge the death of their loved ones. And he had superpowers for God’s sake. He could crash him. He was even sure Tony would find a way to keep him out of jail if he did.   
But he was not any other guy. He was Spiderman. 

Right now he didn’t feel like Spiderman. He was just a kid. Maybe this is why he couldn’t stand to hear the mugger call him that. Because it was the truth. He was just an orphan kid and nothing more. And he didn’t have much in this world. He only had one thing right now.   
And that was a chance. An one in a million chance to protect what he had. And he knew what he had to do. Even if he would hate himself for doing it. 

“I hated you for soooooo long.” His words sounded tired. Every will to fight was gone. They sounded weirdly peaceful. His voice trembled but he continued.   
“I wished for you to suffer. I wished for you to feel how I felt. I wanted to kill you myself. I searched and searched and searched. I couldn’t find you. The star tattoo that I remembered became an obsession to me. And then one day maybe two months after the incident I found someone who looked like you and I beat the shit out of him. I never felt more ashamed in my life. I remember going home and my hands were covered in blood. My Aunt was …. she was afraid of me that night.”  
Peter had never told this story to anyone. He still didn’t believe how blinded he was for revenge. 

“That guy had seen my face. And that’s why I started wearing a mask. And then a few nights later I saved an old lady. I don’t think I will ever forget the way she looked at me. She was not afraid of the mask or of my powers. She was just grateful. The 100 dollar bill in her bag was the only money she had. She hugged me and then I broke. I started crying in front of her. From that moment on I became Spiderman. In a strange way, I forgot about you. I was in peace with the fact that I would never find you.”

“I am so sorry. I don’t know what else to say. I wish I had died instead.”  
“In a weird way I am still in peace.”  
Wells looked puzzled. Like Peter was a little out of his mind, but said no more and watched as Peter placed something in his ear.

“Hey Karen”  
“Hello Peter” a woman’s voice was barely audible and Wells understood it was possibly a communications devise.  
“I want you to text Pepper and tell her to wait in a car I front of the….which side of the compound is this?”  
“The East side”  
“In front of the East side then. And please ask nicely as a favor. Tell her that I don’t want the rest of them to know and that I will explain everything.”  
“It’s done Peter. She says she disapproves but she will be waiting there anyway to change your mind.”  
“Great.” 

And then he turned to Wells.  
“Have you ever tried wall climbing?”

\------------------

Pepper walked quickly to the garage and took her car. It was a black Audi upgraded with multiple SI systems. The message from Peter upset her. The kid should stay in bed. What was he getting himself into now?   
But the fact that he reached for her help melted a soft part in her heart. He had never done this before. He always reached for Tony when something went wrong. So she would at least listen to him.

She drove in front of the East side of the compound and waited. I wasn’t long after that and a strong sound came from the roof of the car. Had someone landed on the roof? She reached for the door and then a second sound came from the roof. 

The door next to her opened and Peter came in.  
“Ms Potts please don’t freak out!”  
The door on the back opened and a man came inside. Oh my God he was Daniel Wells!  
Pepper immediately pressed a button in front of her and the doors locked while a partition appeared to secure the back from the front of the car. It was one of those SI mechanisms that every SI car had installed for safety. 

“Peter what the fuck? What are you doing with this man and why is he in the car with us?”  
“Pepper please calm down. First of all he is secured back there. This partition is even bulletproof and I can guarantee you he will not harm you in any way.”  
“Still Peter why are you even with him?”  
Peter looked more tired and surrendered than she had ever seen him. His eyes though had a determination. The kid knew what he was doing even though it killed him.   
“Because Pepper… because I need to do something and I know if there is anyone who is going to understand right now, it’s you…..”

\--------------

Around 10 minutes later the car started and left the compound.   
Peter watched the car leave.

In the place of his heart there was now a heavy stone, weighing his entire existence.  
He knew though. He knew he did the right thing. 

Then he turned around and entered the compound. 

It was time to face the music.


	15. To keep a mouth shut!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! So this is the end! Or is it?   
> First of all I truly need to thank all of you for your kind and motivational comments! They made my day when I read them and helped me continue with the story :)   
> Now that it reached the end and you have a better view, please comment on what you liked the most or what you thought could be better!  
> Thanks again for staying with me till the end!   
> Until next time, enjoy!

The moment Peter entered the building he saw Tony rushing his way. Obviously he knew about Peter’s escape and possibly even about Wells. 

“Kid enough of your Spidey tricks!” He sounded angrier than normal.   
“I am taking you back to the Med Bay and we are going to have a talk.”  
“Ok” is all Peter answered. 

Tony looked at him suspiciously but let it go for now. Happy appeared behind Tony with a wheelchair. Peter decided that he would not fight it. He felt too tired to walk anyways.   
And just like that Peter, Tony and Happy headed to the Med Bay that was on the other side of the building. Peter remained suspiciously silent. Normally the kid didn’t shut up so Tony couldn’t help but feel bad for him. He just couldn’t catch a break. First the abduction, then waking up confused without remembering what happened and lastly meeting Wells.   
Tony was not gonna let this silence continue for long though. One thing he wouldn’t let happen, was let Peter close in on himself. He was determined to make him talk about what happened even if the kid didn’t want to. He knew firsthand what happens when you keep everything inside. It just finds a way to byte you in the ass later.

Half way to Med Bay Peter suddenly stood up from the wheelchair as if he forgot about something.  
“Where is Aunt May?” he asked.  
“I think she is still in her room Pete. Why?”  
“It’s just…. Mr. Stark would you mind not letting her come to the Med Bay yet? Keep her away for like an hour until we…. you know… until we talk?”  
Tony wanted to object but he let it pass again. Peter was willing to talk to him after all.   
“Ok Pete. Can you now sit down again so that we finally arrive? I keep having déjà vu that you will escape again.”  
Peter complied.   
“You know that after all you did today, I am this close to tying you up to bed so that we don’t have to suffer through any more of your stunts?”  
“I won’t run away again Mr. Stark.”  
“For the millionth time kid it’s Tony. And why is it so hard to stay put?”  
Peter focused on the ground and said nothing. 

\-----------

Once they reached the Med Bay Peter felt more and more anxious. What would Mr. Stark say? Would he accept his choice? Would he think he lost his mind and send him for a Psychiatric evaluation? Everything was possible at this moment. 

Tony opened the door to his room and Peter looked a little frantically inside to check if Aunt May really wasn’t there, but the room was indeed empty. He was sure Tony saw his anxiety but let it go for now, probably waiting to lass out at the right moment. Peter stood up and sat on the edge of the bed as Happy left. Tony didn’t sit down. He couldn’t. He felt restless.

“It’s just us kid, just how you wanted it. Now would you do me the honors and enlighten me of why you chose to leave the room from the window?”  
“Mr. Stark I …..”  
“It’s Tony kid.”  
“Well Tony if I tell you … can you… can you promise to not freak out and listen to me?”  
“I already don’t like where this is going, but do I have any other choice?”  
“Just promise me?”  
“I will try kid. Now spill.”  
“I went to see Wells.”

Tony froze.   
“YOU WHAT? Pete are you out of your mind? He is a killer kid! What if he attacked you again? At least if you told me I could protect –”  
“Tony please just listen to me! I think I know better than anyone that he is a killer! But I was Spiderman the last time I checked and why would he save me from Stone’s hands to hurt me here? I had to do this Tony….I had to see him at least once.”  
Tony wanted to call bs on everything, but the kid made sense.  
“So I went and talked to him and….and then I did something that you won’t like….”  
“Say it”  
“I kind of….might have….let him go?”  
“YOU WHAT? PETE ARE YOU KIDDING ME? SAY THAT YOU’RE KIDDING!”  
“Tony please just—”

Happy opened the door.  
“Boss they just informed me that our hostage is no longer in the premise. We don’t know how he managed to escape, but we are on it with the team.”  
“Tony, please stop everything! Please!”  
Tony was still in shock. He was almost pale. He is so sending me to a psychiatrist after this, Peter thought.  
“Tony I did this, please let me explain first and then send them after him if that’s what you still want to do, ok? But I do believe that I have at least a say in all this! Please!”

Tony could not believe what he was doing, but the words left his mouth. “Hold the team Happy. I will call you if we need to engage. Now leave me with the kid.”  
Happy looked at Peter frightened and left the room slowly.  
Peter did not know how to begin. He lowered his head in his palms and breathed. This whole ordeal took everything out of him. Tony was staying silent. Maybe he just waited for Peter to compose himself first, but let’s be honest he was too stunned to remember how to move.

“I was obsessed with him. I was obsessed with him for so long. It took everything out of me. Every morning I woke up and for a moment everything was fine. Then I had to repeat to myself over and over that this actually happened. That Ben is not coming back. Sometimes I still have to do it….”

“I didn’t start to use my powers to help people. For a while I used them just to take revenge. I used to look up to you or Captain America and still when I first got them it didn’t even occur to me that they could be used for a good cause. I guess your friendly neighborhood Spiderman wasn’t always so friendly after all. He….he had a star tattoo on his arm and I attacked a lot of people searching for it, and I am not proud of this. I am not proud of it at all.” His mind flew to that guy be beat and told Wells about, but he felt too ashamed to tell that to Mr. Stark. He didn’t want for Tony to think he was unstable or anything.

“Being Spiderman helped a lot. I am not the same person I was back then. And to be honest….. I ….I am afraid to become that person again.”  
Tony did not interrupt him all this time, trying to understand why the kid did what he did, but still not totally sold.   
“Yes Pete I get all that but by letting this guy pay for his crimes, you do not become how you were!”  
“I know! That’s why this is only part of the reason why I did what I did.” 

Then Peter finally looked up and met Tony’s eyes. “How exactly would he pay for his crimes Tony?”  
“What do you mean kid?”  
“You would have killed him, wouldn’t you? That’s what I mean! Or you would have attacked him just like you did to Stone! Yes I know what you did to him!”  
Tony stood still looking at Peter terrified of the truth in the kid’s words.  
“Mr. Stark I could never let you become a killer like him…….”

Suddenly breathing was hard for Tony. All this time he was listening to Peter standing up, but he couldn’t do this anymore. He sat on a chair next to the bed and pinched his arm to stop the numbness. All this because Peter was right! He knew this kid was too good for this world. He just let his Uncle’s killer go, because Tony was losing it! The kid protected him even now! Even now that Tony should be the one doing the protecting.   
And oh God Tony was indeed losing it! When Peter found him strangling Wells it didn’t even cross his mind that this frightened the kid. And who knows if he would even stop had Peter not stopped him. He wanted to kill Wells just like he wanted to kill Bucky. Bucky who killed his parents! Bucky who was H.Y.D.R.A’s pawn! 

God! It never hit him as hard as it hit him now. Bucky who was H.Y.D.R.A’s pawn and nothing more. Bucky who suffered in their hands and had to repent for numerous crimes he didn’t really commit. Bucky who had immediately called him when he had information about his kid. Bucky who had helped find his kid, even though Tony wished him dead. What had he done? What had he become? 

“Tony, you play a very important part in my life. I couldn’t see you destroy your life for me. You have so much more to offer to the world both as Iron Man and as Tony. It was not worth it. He had to go.”

His voice broke at the end and tears run down his eyes. Then Tony stood up and hugged him. It was so sudden that caught Peter by surprise and just like that he couldn’t hold it any more. He sobbed in Tony’s arms for a few minutes and felt so much lighter afterwards. Cause Tony understood. He understood that it had to be done.  
Peter swept his dump eyes on his sleeve and took a breath for what would follow.

“Hey, I have more to say but I need you to know it was 100% my fault ok?”  
“Go ahead kid. Nothing you say can upset me.”  
“So I might have asked for somebody’s help to manage and free Wells from the compound. And that someone might happen to be Ms Potts?”  
“Peter!!”

\----------

Pepper left Wells in front of the police department. Wells did as he had promised to Peter.   
He surrendered.   
He did not admit to killing Ben.   
Just admitted to his other, lesser crimes.   
Peter did not want to send him to jail for life and make his daughter suffer away from her father just like Peter had to. 

It was only his luck that John Black was the police officer who took his confection that day.  
The police report was filled and Black said “Sign here” showing him the empty space on the page.  
Wells took the pen and signed. His star tattoo became visible for just a moment.  
“Nice tattoo said Black.”   
“Thanks” he answered.

The next day John Black visited an old case. One of a murder. Imagine his shock when he realized the victim was Peter Parker’s Uncle. The same Peter Parker who went missing only days ago. He remembered that case. It had a lot in common with another case of his. One of an assault. One where the attacker seemed to have almost superhuman strength according to the victim. One where the attacker reportedly searched for a star tattoo on the wrist. Damn that reminded him. There were a few cases at around the same time, of Spiderman randomly questioning guys with a certain profile.   
And that brought to light the more recent events. 

How Peter Parker went missing at around the same time as Spiderman. 

How both Parker and Spiderman were close to Tony Stark! 

He picked up his phone and dialed the number that he would never believe he would use again.  
After a few seconds Tony Stark picked up.  
“Hey! What is my favorite police officer doing today? Need my help on anything? Cause I’ll disappoint you I am too busy today, too many SI meetings.”

“Stark I know who Spiderman is.”

Tony took a breath from the other side of the line. The pause gave Black all the confirmation he needed. 

“Then what can we do to keep your mouth shut Mr. Black?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooo a sequel?   
> I think I want to write something about Peter and Tony of course with Mr Black, Ned, MJ, May and Flash in it!   
> But it's gonna have to wait until the end of June, because I have very very very stressful finals....and I might or might not be graduating...  
> Happy to see you in the stories to come :)


End file.
